


Steel Cords

by ShardOf_QuietExcitement



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fivesome - F/F/F/F/F, G!P, Girl Penis, I was aiming for something new and unheard of, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Multi, Multiracial Character, OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Attacks, Polyamorous relationship, Self-Hatred, Sleep Paralysis, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, a lot of polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-23 01:02:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 55,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14321106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShardOf_QuietExcitement/pseuds/ShardOf_QuietExcitement
Summary: Lexi Diaz is a new student at William McKinley High School, but starting a new school year she never expected to gain a lot of attention by just being her quiet ol' awkward self. That's just the beginning when unusual things start creeping in on little Lima, Ohio.OC G!PPossible crossovers, but that would be much later.Originally posted on FanFiction.net on December 22, 2015 but will be continued to be updated only on AO3.





	1. Moving to Lima

 

Lexi sighs, slouching back against the couch, further burying herself in the pillows behind her. She was content there, basking in the almost noiseless atmosphere as her ears can clearly pick up the sound of the water running in the kitchen through the dining room. Her grandmother was washing the dishes, having pushed Lexi out and forcing her to relax instead of lending her a hand - claiming she was more than capable of doing simple chores.

As the spectacled girl sits, she lets her eyes shut, fingers twisting and turning the rings on both her index fingers. A nervous habit of hers. She was restless, not having been there in Ohio for a very long time and though she loved her grandmother with all her heart, she felt awkward and out of place. She still required time to get the handle of things. After all, she did fly all the way from La Push, Washington.

Unfortunately, the flight made her groggy due to her fear of travel via plane, which meant that she had consumed a few sleeping pills. It helped a lot. It helped with this irrational fear of hers. She expected for Death to be waiting around the corner, from behind a puffy cloud. She guesses it would be better to die that way; it was better to leave the world in your dreams than be awake - living through hell before death engulfs you. Doesn't seem like a heavy burden honestly.

She reopens her eyes, knee bouncing to the music that plays in her head. Scanning the room, her feet are unable to stay still, so she plants them atop the coffee table. Finally, the nerves in her lower body are no longer twined. Lexi keeps herself busy, attention immediately landing on the painting that hangs to the right of the box tv. 

She smirks to herself, knowing the secrets that only her family have kept away from the Quileute tribe. Pride swells deep within her chest and tugs on the strings of the Filipino side of her.

No one from the Philippines needed to know what the painting was called, for it was painfully obvious.

A dark haired woman sat, perched on a chair with her dress cascading along her legs, facing away from a man as her arm lent on the balcony. The man wore traditional white, back facing the audience, seemingly having a strain on his mind as he stared outside, alone with his thoughts. They weren't facing each other, brooding in their own way. Sulking, you'd say. Tampuhan. That was the name of the painting.

Her eyes wander to what's underneath the replica of Juan Luna's painting. Lexi's eyes crinkle with amusement, finding that - yes - what a cliche indeed. The wooden piano was there; its bench already had leather cushions, but her grandmother insisted that there should be a blanket on it for more comfort. The piano that's never played. It's there, but family only ever go there out of curiosity or boredom. Lexi only ever went there for peace of mind back when she was only five or six, interested in the sounds after she'd press the keys, attempting to make music.

Whilst reminiscing, she completely forgets herself in reality, inattentive to the fact that her grandmother had finished washing the dishes and is now standing beside her, staring at her feet in disapproval.

"Wolfie." 

The uttered nickname jolts Lexi out of her haze as she stares up at her grandmother with her perfect hair and all, not a single strip of gray to be seen.

"Yes, Graham?"

"Anong sinabi ko sa iyo?"  _What did I tell you?_ She directs a raised brow at the coffee table, lips pressed together into a tight line.

Lexi tilts her head to the side, putting effort into remembering just what has been said. "Um..."

Tilda shakes her head, amused at her granddaughter. Her absent mind was endearing, it reminded her of her husband, Edgar. They were both lovable, it was impossible not to love them. Which reminds her, she needed to write to him, ask how he was doing in the naval base in San Diego.

"Honey." Tilda directs her eyes at Lexi's socked feet, thankful that it wasn't shoes on her table.

"Huh?" Lexi blinks, tiredly scratching her head.

Tilda shakes her head once again, smiling before placing her hands under her granddaughter's calves and lifting her feet off the table and to the floor.

Lexi let's out an embarrassed chuckle, cursing the sleeping pills for making her so mentally incapable at the moment. "Sorry po." The tan girl looks down at her lap, interlacing her fingers on her thighs.

"Okay lang, pero next time wala kang makukuhang mabilis na patawad." _It's okay, but next time you're not going to be forgiven quickly_. 

Lexi nods her head, knowing that she won't forget that particular rule anymore.

"Well kiddo, why don't you go upstairs and unpack? I'm sure you're excited to sleep in your room after that long trip."

"Actually Graham, iniisipan ko kung puede akong maglakad-lakad para maging familiar ako sa neighborhood." _Actually Graham, I was thinking if I could walk around so that I could be more familiar with the neighborhood._ "Its been a long time." She nervously glances up at her, hoping she'll let her get a bit of fresh air. There's silence after that.

A smile slowly makes its way across her lips. "Why not? Go ahead. Mag-ingat ka lang." _Just be careful._

"Okay, madali lang ako." _I'll be quick._ Getting up, Lexi gives her a hug, then proceeds to the door, making sure that her phone was in her right pocket, a turquoise handkerchief in her left in case her allergies started acting up again and that her lanyard was secured around her neck with her already duplicated keys on it.

Lexi waves a final goodbye before shutting the door and locking it. She pushes on the door five times, making sure that it isn't going to open. Then, five more times. Ten. The pressure of her fingers around the door knob causes them to whiten and it's enough evidence for Lexi that the door was sealed shut.

With that she finally descends down the stairs and doesn't look back.

 

* * *

 

She didn't go that far...well, at least she thinks she didn't go that far. Lexi was fairly certain that she was in Lima Heights considering that the houses were - to put it honestly - massive. Okay, maybe she _had_ walked a little too far away from home. But truthfully, Lexi enjoyed walking. It was quiet and it gave her a generous amount of time to reflect. The quiet had calmed her racing mind and in turn it directed her feet to move on its own accord.

Lexi comes across an empty playground. There she takes a seat on a bench near the gigantic yellow slide, scoffing at just how long the slide should be to make these children happy.

She stares, entranced at the dawning sun; she can't help but think why her parents had sent her there. To Ohio of all places. Her parents didn't usually do things out of the ordinary, so transferring to a new state and a new school wasn't all that bad. Could it? But Lexi knew. She was a very intuitive person despite not knowing what Graham was referring to when she eyed her feet on the table. Anyways, she knew there was a reasonable explanation for this sudden change.

Lexi was thankful for the new start, this opportunity has given her a fresh identity almost. No one at her new school would know her, but she sure would be quite the loner. You see, she's different from other girls you may know. There's a reason why she never wants to go back to La Push. She left behind her cruel past of cruel people and cruel names. She never wants to go back. She doesn't understand why people can be so hostile and ignorant. Just because she was intersex, it didn't mean she was a freak. She just wanted to be loved like everyone else. She wanted a normal life. So saying mean names to her wasn't a normal life, it's just emotional abuse that burned more than acid. It was permanent. She never wants to go back.

Her hand touches the left side of her skull. She shuts her eyes, scrunching them tighter when the sound of harsh impact flashes back into her mind.

She's dragged out of her thoughts by a quiet noise. Cautiously, she stands; hoping that the cement floor beneath her isn't actually wooden floorboards that squeak annoyingly.

She crouches beside the slide and peaks. And the sight instantly drives a painful jagged rock into her chest.

The blonde sits across the other side of the playground, under the metal bridge on a small backless bench, right there in front of the tic tac toe panel. Her attire consisted of a white dress that was underneath a light yellow cardigan.

Lexi takes a step back, not brave enough to go over there and comfort the blonde. Actually, she wasn't really brave at all. She's kind of a pussy that thinks she's brave, but she's really not. Comforting people wasn't really a skill of hers, it made her uncomfortable all together. It was her anxiety. She'd rather be holed up in her room than at a family celebration.

The blonde sniffles again and Lexi halts, frozen and mind brewing with definitive uncertainty.

Louder sniffles are released.

Lexi chooses.

With reluctant steps forward, the tan girl slips out from behind the slide and her feet eventually begin to hurt from pausing so much in her movements. 

Sniffle.

Brushing around the plastic barrier, Lexi kneels on one leg as far away as she could in front of the girl, afraid that she might get punched. Silently, the spectacled teen inhales, gulping down the dryness of her throat as her legs tremble underneath her.

"M-Miss, are you alright?"

Lexi utters it with so much softness that it can barely be heard.

Yet, the blonde still picks it up. Her sobs have stopped and she hurriedly brushes the tears off her face with her forearm.

Lexi doesn't dare breathe when the blonde lowers her forearm from her face.

Hazel eyes stare back at her. Mesmerizing and elegant even if they were slightly red. Eyes were just staring back at her, pools of emotion flowing through them.

 _Hazel_.

With each thumping moment that passes, the air in Lexi's lungs seem to constrict and the feeling in the pit of her stomach tightens. Like everything in her body has stopped working and the only thing that remained in order was her heart as blood continued to pump through it with vigor.

It was as if there was something there. There was something that was connecting them, intertwining their lives together. Lexi just doesn't realize what the image in her head was telling her.

_A steel cord._

A gust of wind blows through the playground, the simple touch against Lexi's ear makes it twitch and it breaks their eye contact.

Lexi doesn't notice her own movements, but her hand was already in her left pocket, venturing for the turquoise handkerchief. She hands it to the hazel eyed blonde with shyness that her ears were already burning.

The blonde mumbles a _thank you_ as she starts wiping at the visible tears in her reddish eyes.

From Lexi's position on the ground, her eyes focused on delicate slumped shoulders and pouting lips. Glancing at the blonde's mouth made Lexi self conscious that it made her lick her chapped lips. Damn her mouth. Chappy Jaws.

"Miss, are you alright?" Lexi repeats herself, louder and with much more confidence.

"Do I know you?" The blonde snaps, eyes going stone cold, the question was biting and it drop kicked Lexi's confidence lower than before. So much for bravery.

Lexi averts her eyes to the ground. "Um...no. I just wanted to see if you were okay."

The blonde's eyes soften, taken aback by her honesty.

"Diaz."

Her hand juts out, surprising Lexi. She didn't usually do hand shakes. Hell, she's never introduced herself to someone without her mother or her aunt doing it for her. It stuns her even more when the blonde actually takes her hand and gives it a firm shake, sending tingling nerves down her wrist.

"You're not going to tell me your first name?" Her voice comes out husky and she notices, coughing into her elbow.

"Just want to keep it simple for once." It's kinda a lie. She guesses it was a spur of the moment type of thing, but it was more of a salute to Tatay. Her grandfather. He doesn't like being told he's old so he made her and her sister call him that instead of Lolo. Same thing with Graham. If it wasn't that it was Nanay, not Lola. Wait, she's getting off track. What she means is that introducing herself with her last name is a type of thing her grandfather'll do. He was in the navy after all.

A beat goes by and she doesn't return the given message.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"Why should I? You said it yourself. We should keep it simple. And the most simple thing to do is for me to not tell you my name." 

That stung.

And it showed on Lexi's face, her eyebrows furrowing.

"That's not fair. I told you my name. Plus, I don't want to be rude. I'm betting that you wouldn't like it if I referred to you as Barbie." The dark haired girl adds. "I don't think that would be appropriate though." She shrugs. "It's more like an understatement. You're far too prettier than that plastic bitch." Lexi says absentmindedly and her eyes widen and she blushes. Shit, did she really just flirt? Fuck, it wasn't even classy too. 

Lexi is cautious when she chances a glance at the blonde, failing to contain her smile when she notices the bright red blush on the blonde's cheeks. Finally, Lexi actually did something right that didn't require for her to act like a totally different person.

"So, what's your name?"

She hesitates, glancing at the ground and gripping the handkerchief in her hand. When she glances back at Lexi, finding her with a genuine smile she feels herself doing the same.

"Quinn." The blonde breathes out.

Lexi's smile widens, pleased at the name. She's never heard of someone with that name other than Harley Quinn. But it was unique. It was her.

Lexi carefully rises, not wanting to jam her head into the metal bridge above them and she sits down next to Quinn. As far away as she could too. She still doesn't know this girl and Quinn still doesn't know her. For all she knows, Quinn might think she's a loose serial killer. She doesn't want to seem like a creep.

"Do you want to talk about it, Quinn?"

She shakes her head.

Lexi hangs her head in disappointment and she can't find anything useful to say.

Silence.

Quinn rises slowly and out from under the metal bridge to avoid hitting her head. "I should probably get going."

Curious, Lexi checks the black watch on her right wrist. Oh man, she's been outside for an hour already? "Crap, me too." Lexi ducks her head as she walks out from under the hiding place. The duo awkwardly stands next to each other. Lexi notices their height difference, smirking now that she knows she has a height advantage over the blonde.

"So have a goodnight, I guess." This time Quinn is the one to initiate the hand shake, seemingly more calm than when Lexi had found her - eyes no longer red.

Lexi grasps her hand, enjoying the warmth that radiates onto her own skin. "Yeah, you too."

Neither let go, it's only when the wind stirs again that their hands unclasp and they slowly part ways, bidding each other an awkward goodbye as they go in opposite directions. Lexi waits until the other girl is gone and out of sight before she breaks into a sprint.

The last thought she has about Quinn is: _Wow, she has beautiful eyes._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to follow me on Tumblr it's still under the same name: gleebishop
> 
> Also remember this is 2009, Season 1, gotta be less technological ya know?
> 
> I'm planning on breaking barriers *cackles evilly*


	2. Tingles

Lexi awakes to the shrill ringing of her alarm clock on her night table, but despite the loud awakening the almost traditional ache in her back in the early mornings wasn't present.

 _Huh, must be my lucky day_.

She begins crawling off the bed, failing to take notice that she was haphazardly tangled in her bedsheets. As a result, when she continues to lower her feet, she suddenly falls off the mattress and lands on the floor with a loud _thud_.

Face first.

Lexi grumbles, opting to stay on the floor for a few more seconds, glad that she hadn't thought of putting on her glasses first thing after waking up, or else they would've gotten damaged from impact.

 

* * *

 

After getting ready for school in what Lexi had deemed the most plain clothes - well, the most plain clothes from her already plain clothes - she walked down the stairs, yawning into her hand. She trails her way towards the kitchen, smelling something delicious. There she finds Graham, already awake and in her uniform for her job at the nursing home. The bowl of rice and the plate of tuna mixed with eggs was already on the island, steam flowing off.

Lexi hauls herself onto a stool across from her grandmother. "Morning." Her voice cracking with drowsiness.

Tilda hands her a plate and a spoon, amused that she can witness this side of her granddaughter again. She's been alone in that house for five years, aside from when Edgar would visit her. "Kamusta ang tulog mo?" _How was your sleep?_  

Lexi responds with a yawn behind the hand holding her spoon. "Tired."

Tilda chuckles, gathering some rice and dispensing the cluster onto her plate. "Do you want me to drop you off at school?"

The suggestion surprises her, mainly because as far as she knew, Graham didn't have a drivers license, nor did she know how to drive. And she's positive her grandmother can't drive because she remembers when her family had gone to visit that they rented a car so that Graham could practice driving. Tatay was in the passenger seat of the red van and all of them were crammed in the back - it was sweltering that day. They were in an empty parking lot away from other civilians, but Lexi remembers it. Graham had driven the car perfectly...until she drove the car up a curb and they all just looked at her with wide eyes. She never tried driving again after that.

"You don't have a car though."

"Taxi."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I'll just walk or skateboard to school." Lexi pats her full stomach. "I need the exercise anyway. And I know you, Nanay. You plan on fattening me up."

Tilda smirks, but doesn't respond as she takes her plate to the sink.

"See, you're not even denying it!" Lexi exclaims dramatically.

 

* * *

 

The breeze could be felt against her skin even as she wears a dark plaid long sleeved shirt. Cool air swept under her sleeves, tickling the tiniest hairs on her forearms. She had selected it out of self consciousness for there were small stretch marks that dented the backs of her shoulders. Her sleek raven hair was tied into a ponytail and precisely three black bobby pins were slipped into the sides of her scalp to prevent loose strands from messing up her look. Her bangs were swept to the right - comb over style - and brushed up subtly. Her best friend would tell her that it would look like a small tilted hill.

She picks up her speed, her left foot driving into the pavement, smoothing her momentum. Her dark brown eyes set in on the school and almost immediately her heart begins racing.

Not from adrenaline, but from worry.

She gulps, seeing a lot of red letterman jackets and cheerleading uniforms. Just a swarm of students at the school entrance. The spectacled teenager begins scanning her surroundings like a paranoid ostrich, at least that's what her best friend keeps telling her. Even as they walked to school together back in La Push Lexi's best friend always noticed Lexi swiveling her head back, trying to find if there was someone following them.

She comes to a hault, stomping down on her skateboard's tail and flicks it up into her awaiting hand. The wind blows again and Lexi adjusts the straps of her backpack, fingers gripping her board tighter.

Lexi checks her watch. She was thirty minutes early. She was always early. The La Push native hated being tardy and if she was, her mood would be sour the whole day. Silent. Mute. She watches the red second hand tick away for ten counts. Taking a deep breath and an exhale, Lexi steps forward with her left just as her grandpa had taught her - when marching of course, always start with your left.

A shriek erupts from somewhere and Lexi's head flicks to the side. Her eyes land on a couple of obnoxious jocks, snorting and laughing loudly that it would be enough to draw other people's attention, but it doesn't. The other students just continue walking towards the entrance, straying as far away as they can from the splatters of red.

What Lexi sees makes her eyes narrow, discovering something odd. There was a lonesome wheelchair. It doesn't take a genius to know that there was someone who _was_ in that wheelchair before. Her jaw clenches tightly as air is released from her nose in anger when she sees an arm sticking out of one of the green dumpsters. With finality, she cracks her neck, left and right.

The multiracial girl runs over with ease, her legs carrying her. Coming to a stop, her footsteps become hesitant as she takes a sniff of her new surroundings. She thanks god that it doesn't smell putrid and not like rotten fish.

She places her skateboard down first before her fingers slip under the lid and she pushes it back that the plastic cover barely makes a sound as it collides with the back of the dumpster. She peeks inside and she grimaces when she spots a young boy - a freshman - with closed eyes behind glasses.

"Do you need help?" The question slips out easily. Lexi has always felt comfortable around boys. It's probably because she understands them more than girls; however, she still gets moody even if she isn't capable of menstruating.

His eyes open immediately, blue eyes stare back at her. Lexi blinks back in surprise and as does he, but perhaps for a different reason. Another thing she has to get used to are the people. Back at the reservation, a lot of people had the same characteristics as her: tan skin, dark eyes, and dark hair. When she wasn't on the reservation, she would go to the town nearby and all the people that lived there would look at her family and whisper. They'd look at them as if they haven't evolved, like they were apes. It's annoying when they'd ask if she was a descendent of Geronimo or if she had used a bow and arrow before. The worst one was if she knew what a bra was and they laughed at her when she looked at them - appalled. It was stupid. Lexi lived her life like a regular teenager, watching tv and spending time with friends. She wears jeans, not dresses made from buckskin. She'd groan, she hates dresses and skirts.

That was the problem with the tribe, they didn't like foreigners, but somehow and for some reason, they turned a blind eye when her grandfather - a half Quileute and half Filipino - had gone and rebelliously married Graham - half Filipino, half Quileute. Tatay was actually supposed to marry a pure native girl according to the laws, maybe they were trying to restore purity in the blood again. But he sealed the deed with Graham and he was more than happy to. And her father - he had a Hispanic heritage, he was part Filipino, and part Quileute. Her uncle Kade was Peruvian and half Quileute.

How she remembers is beyond her. Maybe it's just that she has a thing for cultures? Oh well.

So looking at this boy - no, she wasn't being prejudice - it was just that she was afraid of what might happen to her. Albeit, she did know how to fight - she was very capable - but she was more concerned about her emotions. Would the insults start again? Racial slurs? Death threats?

Lexi doesn't breathe after she tells him, "Don't worry, you can trust me." She smiles, God, does she try to smile alright. It comes out as a grimace.

"I do, but I'm not sure you can get me out of here." He lifts his arms before plopping them down onto the plump garbage bags, his movements causing the bags to crinkle.

The implication of being weak makes Lexi's right eye twitch, perhaps it was out of stress or anxiety, but she sure as hell was not weak. She openly glares at the boy to which he shrinks back at the level of animosity he feels just from that look.

"Are you saying that because I'm a girl?"

The spectacled boy gulps loudly, his Adam's apple bobbing up. "N-No."

A dry chuckle escapes her lips. "Just kidding." Her expression turns dead serious. "You make sexist comments again, I'll leave you in there to rot with the basura. Got it?"

He nods quickly, hair flopping on his forehead.

Lexi nods back rigidly before disposing her backpack beside her board. She sidles next to the edge of the dumpster and slips her hands under his armpits. She hauls him, putting his back against the inside of the dumpster.

"Ready?"

"Yeah. Just count to three 'cause don't wanna be bustin' my shit." His words become ghetto accented, and it causes Lexi to raise her eyebrow in shock. A minute later she smirks, this guy was definitely one of the culturally knowledgeable ones.

"Alright. On one, two, three!"

Lexi sits him on the edge, letting him fall back into her waiting arms, catching his back and his thighs. Carefully, she places him into his wheelchair, making sure that he didn't get hurt during his fall.

She grabs her things from the cement and turns her head towards him. Lexi smiles when she sees a tint of red coloring his cheeks.

"So, what's your name?"

"Diaz. You?"

"Artie Abrams. I'd shake your hand, but I don't want to dirty it." He pauses, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Um, well I suppose make it dirtier."

Lexi nods, not knowing if she should say something, but judging by her watch she really had to go if she wanted to clean herself and meet the principal in time.

"Hey, Artie. It was nice to meet you, but I really have to go." She points her thumb behind her towards the school.

"Definitely, thank you. I have to go too. I - my girlfriend, Tina, she's waiting for me." He coughs. "Just to put it out there, i-if you're interested?" He pushes his glasses back up.

Lexi gives him a smile, flattered and suspicious, but no. Yup, awkwardness was crawling up her spine again. She walks backwards. "Sorry man, but I don't swing that way. See ya later, Artie."

She spins on her heel, jogging towards the double doors. As she pushes open one of the double doors, she thinks of how the comment of interest from Artie was pretty much a dick thing to do. Whoever this Tina girl was, she should probably rethink her dating decisions.

 

* * *

 

As soon as she pushes open one of the doors, she is met with pure silence even as the hallway is brimming with dozens of students. Every single damn person was looking at her. It made her feel like she was in a shark tank full of great whites with multiple lacerations on her body. It made her shoulders knot up, not liking the way they were staring at her like they knew she was new there. Fresh meat. Taking cautious steps, the young teen ignores their stares and locates the bathroom.

At one of the sinks was a petite brunette; she tinkers with her hair and hairspray is sat beside the knob for cold water. Lexi quickly averts her eyes and instead going back to the task at hand. 

She goes into a stall and shuts the door quietly. She places her board on the floor and hangs her backpack on the convenient hook. The dark eyed teen strips off her plaid shirt, revealing a black crew neck shirt underneath. Lexi folds the discarded piece of clothing and rolls it, neatly stashing it into her bag. She takes out a bottle of perfume - mango scented - and applies it to her wrist, wiping the moist limb onto her other forearm and onto her throat.

Lexi opens the stall - the short brunette is still in the same spot - and takes quick steps to the sink closest to the exit. The spectacled girl tucks her board under her left arm and twists the knob of the cold water only, her quick reasoning behind it is that she's too lazy, but the truth is that she liked the feeling of being cold. She was often hotheaded when it came to routines. Remember when she talked about hating being tardy? So she steers clear from hot water when washing her hands. She'd usually wait till her hands naturally dried before she put her palms to her cheeks to savor the fresh coolness that eventually calms her down. But she wouldn't try doing it at school. It was too much of a private thing for her...and she'd probably look like she was on drugs.

Lexi's ear twitches unknowingly at the sound of water swirling down toilets. Shoes tap against the bathroom floor and from the corner of her eyes she sees red. She freezes. _Oh fuck_. She did _not_ want to be a part of what was about to happen.

"Getting ready for the tranny prom, Rachel?" The voice was familiar, but it was sweetly sickening. It was pouring with raging sarcasm. The sinks turn on a second later.

Under circumstances like this, Lexi would have chosen to barrel her way out the bathroom, but she stays - washing her hands longer than what is necessary. The nosy side of her forces her head to turn in the direction of the trio.

And her eyes widen in fear when she notices that the cheerleader - she looked like she was Latina (but it was possible that she could be biracial) - was glaring at her, eyes burning hell into her own. Recognition sparks in Lexi's mind, thankful that there was another person of color at her school. They were the minorities in a sea of other greatly represented students. Yet, she was still terrified. The tan cheerleader was still glaring at her.

But then Lexi gets a closer inspection of her face. Their eyes lock. Brown to brown. The cheerleader's expression falters ever so slightly, but the anger is back again and stronger than ever.

Lexi notices the break in her facade. There's a tingling sensation that zaps in her stomach. A steel cord appears beside another one. Two of them now. Side by side.

Someone clears their throat, and Lexi doesn't understand how it's possible for her to forget that there were other people in the room.

Instead of directing her gaze at the person who cleared their throat, she switches her sights on the petite brunette - the unmistakable Jewish girl - with a cute nose. Once again, the sensation is present. It is forming in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes were of a lighter brown. Except, this time a tickling shiver dances up her spine.

The mental picture of the two steel cords appear inside her mind and another one slowly becomes visible.

The petite brunette stares back at her with worry.

Lexi blushes, becoming aware that she'd been studying her a tad too long. With mortification, her gaze snaps to the last person - the one who had cleared their throat.

Shivers erupt all over her back as hazel eyes examine her with calculated interest. She raises a perfectly sculpted brow that induces the heat in Lexi's cheeks to flame.

Quinn was wearing the same identical cheerleading uniform as the unnamed Latina.

Are you fucking - She's a cheerleader?!

Lexi shakes her head, having difficulty processing everything, so she solves it with the best way she knows how.

She spins around and opens the door, almost knocking her shoulder into the wall. Guilt overlaps her senses. Dammit, she shouldn't have left the petite brunette in there with Quinn and the other cheerleader. The feeling was nagging her as she left, forcing her to feel the urge to turn around, but she was indeed a coward. She had no qualms being called one.

_What the hell is happening to me?_

Lexi thinks, finding it peculiar how the tingles ceased instantaneously as soon as her foot was outside the bathroom.

But what was also peculiar was how Quinn could act so...so spiteful. She was so sweet yesterday and now that person she had met was gone. Cheerleader, huh? Social hierarchy was a bitch.

And the other cheerleader, Lexi had a hunch that she should be avoided. In fact all things red that held a slushie in school should be avoided, no matter what.

 

* * *

 

Lexi cautiously walks into the principal's office. There she greets the Pakistani man who looks up from his work with a smile. Lexi breathes a sigh of relief, thankful that the school was actually more diverse than she had thought.

"Good morning," Lexi pauses, squinting at the name plate on the principal's desk. "Principal Figgins."

"Ah Ms. Diaz, I was expecting you." He gestures towards one of the seats as he stands, going over to his filing cabinet. Lexi slowly sits down, on the very edge of her chair, clearly uncomfortable.

Principal Figgins brings over a number of five textbooks, unintentionally slamming them on the desk.

The corner of Lexi's mouth twitches into a tiny frown with displeasure at the sight. She could already feel the weight as she imagines the humongous books in her backpack and the amount of homework she'll have to do for her sophomore year.

The man takes his seat again, a sheet of paper in his hand. "The books were already assigned over the summer to each student, so I terribly apologize that you have to carry all of this nonsense to your locker." He smiles apologetically, handing her the sheet of paper.

Lexi slides her textbooks closer to where she sits. "No, it's fine. I can manage." She takes it, scanning the paper. It was definitely her schedule. 

"It's best that you go now." He quickly strolls over to the door, opening it for Lexi as she lifts the stack of books into her arms. "There's about fifteen minutes left before your first class begins."

"Thank you, sir." She struggles to make eye contact. It's always been like that with her. Sharing eye contact was a personal thing and it had to take a lot of trust for Lexi to do just that.

"Have a good day and may God have mercy on your soul."

Lexi doesn't turn her head back, but she makes a face - a mixture of perplexion and petrification.

"Okay?"

Lexi carefully puts her belongings into her locker that was thankfully beside a wall; she had never had a locker between others and she hopes it'll never happen in the future. There were undesirable left over stickers that Lexi wanted to so badly take off or perhaps cover with her own decorations, but she didn't have the time, nor the decorations.

So she clicks the lock shut and tugs on it three times. Then, two times. Then, five more times. On the tenth tug she pulls on the lock with all her strength until the pads of her fingers go white. With the urge to check ten more times, Lexi shakes her head and reminds herself of the pressure that were in her fingers. She doesn't need to check again, but she sure did want to.

Instead, she quickly walks away before she goes back again. She's able to find her homeroom on time just before the bell rings.

Her first class was Spanish I. The funny thing is that last year, she was in Spanish II. She doesn't know if it was the system or anything, but all she knows is that the class guarantees her an A plus. Well, unless there were a lot of oral presentations, then she's horribly screwed.

She spares the teacher's desk a speedy glance and it's empty. Lexi frowns, hoping that the teacher was present. Assigned seats actually worked best for her. She didn't have much friends and fate didn't like her much what with how she only had a few classes with those friends in Washington. But now, there was no teacher. She had to find an open seat, yet there weren't any more tables that were vacant of people. Fuck, she had to actually ask a person if she could sit with them. Did she need to?

Lexi searches quickly, discomfort at the way her classmates were staring at her just standing there. She finds a well dressed boy. He was alone and quiet. No one was talking to him. So Lexi finds safety there. It's the safest option. It was that or a seat next to the jock. Red.

When Lexi draws nearer, a thought sparks in her brain. Now, she never believed in gaydar, but it was possible that it was true because right there in that moment her mind was going haywire. Her gaydar was going haywire.

Lexi jumps over a cheerleader's legs that had intended to trip her and she smirks to herself, passing the pissed off girl.

The seat was in the middle of the room, center row, but Lexi has no choice.

"Excuse me." She says quietly, getting the boy's attention. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

He looks up at her, surprised at the sudden presence. "Sure." He replied, his voice was kinda high pitched. "Go ahead."

Lexi slides into the maroon chair. She opens her binder, indecisive about what to do with herself. She should doodle. But as her pencil touches the paper, a man with short curly hair wearing a sweater vest walks in, she assumes it's the teacher. Lexi's face scrunches up, thinking that she's never had a teacher that was literally late to school. He was not setting a good example.

"Ugh, such atrocious clothing." The boy beside her says, his own face scrunching up as he rolls his bluish green eyes.

She looks up confused, but thankful that she wasn't the one to start a conversation or else she'd have to use one of her lame questions: What's your favorite TV show? Besides, the question had never done much for her except awkward silence on her part.

She heard the statement clearly, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with the teacher's choice of fashion. Typically, that's what she would have worn to a family gathering. "Excuse me?" Lexi asks anyway, forgetting her binder.

The flamboyant boy glances at her. "Mr. Schue - that guy." He nods at the tardy man. "His choices for clothing are unbearable."

A part of her is saddened. That meant her clothing choices are unbearable as well. It's not like she expected to be a fashionista or anything - that was more her sister anyways - but that hurt.

Sob.

Lexi considers the comment and let's it settle in her mind as she observes the teacher. His shoulders were tense and his satchel was excruciatingly unorganized that Lexi was tempted to raise her hand and ask if she could organize his stuff for her own sake. Lexi makes her last observation as he brushes a frustrated hand through his hair and grabs a fistful of it into his grip.

"I think - I think his choices are unbearable because he's uptight. And stressed too, probably." Lexi tells the boy next to her, continuing her observation of Mr. Schue. She grimaces when he drops a few writing utensils onto the floor. During her scrutiny of the man, she thinks that he may look like an older Justin Timberlake. Lexi shakes her head. JT was a great dancer and this guy - let's just say he needs to prove that he's not a klutz before Lexi makes up her mind.

The boy gives her an intrigued mien, his head tilting to the side to get a better look at this student. He believes he's never talked to her before, nor has he ever seen her. He regrets not paying attention more if she has been attending the school with him for the passed year because he had a feeling that she was a good nut, but a tough one to crack. "You can understand body language?"

When the girl smiles, the boy is eager to know the story behind it, but not in the way you may think. He was absolutely gay and he could tell with this one, this girl wasn't as straight as they come.

Lexi hums, lips pursing for a moment. "I guess you could say that." She shrugs thoughtlessly. "I read an article once about it and I guess that it stuck."

The boy's eyebrows raise in amazement. He had done that once - read an article. Though, it was a boring article - maybe that's why he doesn't remember anything about it. "What other languages are you fluent in?"

It's the young native's turn to tilt her head, surprised that the boy was actually interested in asking about her life, but to be fair he wasn't aware of how damaged she was. "Well, for starters - English obviously."

The young teen shakes his head in amusement. The girl's cracks were simple, but laughable.

She continues. "Tagalog. Quileute." At the boy's confused expression she explains. "It's a language of my tribe. I'm part Native American." She chuckles at the look of surprise, understanding that she bears more characteristics of her mother and father's combined Asian qualities as well as Hispanic. "And Spanish."

"You are aware that you're in Spanish I, right?"

"Yeah." Lexi nods. "Last year, at my old school in La Push, Washington I took Spanish II. But since I moved here to Ohio, I guess I have to start over from the beginning."

"That's intriguing." He points out. "Okay, I know that language has nothing to do with how smart a person is, but I have a feeling that you're quite the intellectual."

Lexi smiles, grimacing slightly. She had a problem about being called smart. She didn't like being thought highly of only to disappoint them later on. "If you say so." She shrugs. "Why do you say that? Are the people here as slow as cliche jocks?"

"Sort of. The annoying thing is that most people here are very ignorant. Most of the student body lets the numbskulls define them and degrade them into lesser human beings. It's truly sad."

Lexi frowns, remembering that that's exactly what she wants to forget. "That's social hierarchy for you. It's a real pain in the ass." She shakes her head, disgusted at the thought. "Enough of that." Lexi confidently offers her hand, there was no doubt in her mind that this was the start of a wonderful friendship. "Lexi Diaz, at your service, sir." She offers her hand to him. He takes it and Lexi is not surprised by the softness of his hand. Truthfully, she was kind of jealous. All she thought of her hands was that they had a lot of callouses from climbing trees so much as a kid.

"At my service, hm?" He raises a teasing brow, taking on an evil mastermind's persona. "Kurt Hummel. You'll also know me as the sensational future Broadway star or the world's greatest fashion designer." Kurt smiles brightly that it makes Lexi chuckle softly, amused by his confidence. 

Mr. Schue is finally done sorting himself up with his disasterous desk and he walks to the center of the room. "Okay class, this is Spanish I and my name is Mr. Schuester, but you may call me Mr. Schue. I will be your teacher for the entire year." 

There were only a few students that were paying attention, but he continued on with his lecture nonetheless.

"I'll be teaching you all basic Spanish, but first the assignment of the day is that you need to turn and talk with your neighbor. Describe yourselves to them with adjectives in Spanish."

When no one starts, he puts his hands on his hips and attempts to intimidate them only for them to blink.

"Come on! Come on! Chop-chop! Ándale, ándale!" Mr. Schue demands, clapping his hands loudly.

Lexi's eyebrows furrow at his actions, grimacing at his childish tactics - she was not in the mood to play patty cake. And the rest of her classmates agree by the sound of their heavy groans. It was gonna be a long day.

The spectacled girl sighs exasperatedly.

"It's going to be a long day." Kurt drawls out, rubbing his face as Lexi smirks.

"Kurt?"

He hums in response.

"We're going to be good friends."

Kurt grins, teeth white and bright. "I couldnt agree more." But after a moment he pauses, a question falling from his lips.

"Wait, what's an adjective?"

 

* * *

 

Lexi and Kurt had already finished their assignment, but they were doubting if the assignment was actually a plan for them to be productive since it shouldn't have to take a whole class period. So as a way to distract themselves, the duo busted out questions and as expected the chiche questions had come out to play.

"What's your favorite color?" Kurt asks, placing his elbows on their table.

Lexi looks at him blankly. "Dude, seriously?"

Kurt laughs. "Come on, I'm serious. Just answer the question."

The native girl rolls her eyes playfully. "Red."

"Now, ask _me_ what's my favorite color."

Lexi's nose scrunches, finding that their conversation was getting hilarious by the minute. "I didn't finish naming my favorite colors." She gives Kurt a poorly made pout. To which he shakes his head at her.

"The key word in my question was color, not colors." He puts emphasis on the ' _s.'_

Lexi ignores him. "Black is a close first and orange and white are tied for third."

"Jesus, you're intolerable."

"Shut up, you love me."

"Pretty sure I don't - what are you doing?"

Lexi puts on a face, pouting so hard that her lower lip was trembling; she was very close to bursting into laughter.

"If you're trying to be cute, it's not working."

"Aw, shucks!"

"Don't ever say that word ever again."

"But I thought you loved me."

Kurt stares at her, it was very difficult to make him burst. He should get an Oscar. "Don't ever say that word ever again."

 

* * *

 

Lexi checks her schedule for the twentieth time that day, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her because she definitely did not want to have Chemistry next. It has been a known fact since fifth grade: She did not like science and science did not like her.

"Ms. Diaz?" She turns her attention to Kurt who stands beside her outside of class.

"Yeah?"

"It's been a pleasure annoying you." Kurt grins back evilly at her.

"I'm glad you enjoy my pain." She says sarcastically. "But seriously, how did you do that? Am I not as funny as I think I am?"

Kurt snorts. "Acting skills, darling. You are in the presence of the best." He flips imaginary hair over his shoulder.

Lexi face palms, hiding her smile. "Narcissist." She tries to reach up, intending to mess with his nice head of hair.

He swats her hand away like a fly and he ignores the gobsmacked look that he leaves on her face. "You mess with this delicacy, I swear on my Prada wallet that I'll break your flimsy hand." Kurt growls teasingly, but they both knew he would actually do it.

"Okay, so you're a violent child." She points out with an amused grin. "Cálmate." Lexi decides to give Kurt a pat on his shoulder, bidding him a goodbye.

She turns the corner, starting a new adventure to find her next class. Ugh, chemistry. 

If she had stayed longer, she would've witnessed Kurt getting drenched with purple slush.

But despite missed occurrences, Lexi steps into her next class after picking up her textbook from her locker, known for being prepared all the time.

She dreads the period, finding herself alone with the exception of Ms. Berkley - from what the name on the white board behind her says. From what Lexi could gather, the woman was probably in her early thirties, but she had an air of youth from the way she was dressed in black pants and a crisp white dress shirt. A light black scarf with white decorations was draped around her neck. The woman pays her no heed, her back still towards her and opts to continue writing on the board.

Thankful for not receiving attention, she slips her way to the very back and plops down on a black stool. According to routine, she moves her textbook all the way to the far corner of the science table, making sure that its corners were congruent. Boredom soon takes over so she opens her binder and continues to draw the image she had planned to draw in Spanish.

She pats her left pocket, feeling for three utensils. Two pencils and a pen. There was an extra hair tie in case the one currently in her hair would snap. In her right pocket was her ID and her phone.

Before she forgets, she takes out a printed copy of a cartoon falcon flying. It's not that she was going to trace it. God, no. She had quite the mind - driven by imagination. But when it came to drawing, she needed a reference or else it was going to turn to shit.

She was about to draw the low grass beneath the predatory bird, but the chair beside her moves and the bell rings.

Lexi turns. When she does she meets the bluest eyes she has ever seen in her life. The blonde was clad in a cheerleading uniform with a smile on her face. And it was very odd because throughout the first period all she had seen were cheerleaders with nasty scowls. Nonetheless, she was filled with anxiety again, awaiting acidic words. Tingles come again and her hands begin quaking uncharacteristically that Lexi has no choice but to hide them underneath the table. Another steel cord appears and she can't possibly ignore it any longer. Was it some tribal thing that she hadn't heard about yet?

"Hi!" The blonde's voice knocks her out of her stupor, full of lively energy. "My name is Brittany S. Pierce, which sounds like Britney Spears - what's your name?"

"Um."

"Silly girl!" Brittany giggles. "Don't be shy. What's your name?" She repeats with a calmer tone.

"Uh...Lexi. Lexi Diaz."

"That's a a totes drawing." She points at Lexi's forgotten drawing.

And the tan girl gulps. Nervous. She didn't usually like showing people her drawings. "T-Thanks." Lexi forces herself to say out of good mannerisms. She scratches her blushing neck. She jumps, shoulders tensing enough for the other student to feel it.

"Hey." She starts with a soothing tone. "You don't have to be nervous. I don't bite." Her hand rubs Lexi's shoulder, caressing it. Then she scratches it, making Lexi's eyes flutter. It causes the cheerleader to smirk knowingly. She drags her short nails down the tan girl's arm, smirk growing when she feels muscles flexing unconsciously. "Unless...you want me to, of course. See, I'm a good girl. I ask for consent." Brittany winks, enjoying how she hears the other teen take a sharp intake of breath.

Lexi clears her throat, not used to this kind of attention from other girls aside from her best friend. "I'm sorry." Her voice is husky and her eyes widen when Brittany continues her sensual path up and down her arm. She coughs again and into her elbow. "I'm sorry. It's my first day here. I haven't been to Ohio in a long time." Brown eyes narrowed slightly, wondering if this was some sort of sick game.

"S'okay." Brittany squeezes Lexi's shoulder and pulls it towards her other hand, interlacing them onto the table. "Shy girls are cute." 

Lexi's blush worsens. She pushes the ivory sheet across the table in the blonde's direction. "Here. Peace offering for my awkwardness."

She picks it up gently and looks at it, eyes shining happily. And Lexi isn't expecting what happens next - that seems to be like a regular thing now.

Brittany shoots forward wrapping her arms around Lexi's shoulders and pulling her close. "Thank you so much, Lexi."

Lexi tries to desperately catch her breath, choking at the tightness around her throat as her eyes notice that more students were filing in. She hums instead of responding, doubting that she'll be able to talk.

Someone coughs loudly. "Ahem."

Brittany immediately lets go, still smiling. 

Lexi on the other hand was thankful and annoyed by the disturbance. She looks up, schooling her features with neutrality and is overcome with shock. Ms. Berkley was really - woah. 

The spectacled girl gulps, her mouth was really dry. She quickly averts her gaze, her cheeks really red.

"Anything you two want to share with the class before it begins?" Ms. Berkley inquires with a gorgeous eyebrow raise, amused by the tan girl's abrupt movements with her eyes - it makes her smirk.

Lexi was starting to think that not only did she have a thing for brunettes and blondes, she also had a thing for older blondes. Someone untaint her mind with a fire extinguisher please. No one could really blame her, Ms. Berkley was really attractive.

"I made a new friend." Brittany had a mega-watt grin plastered on.

The spectacled girl beside her quirks up at the title. Friend? Sure, they could be friends, but Lex had to make sure. Be careful. Don't trust too easily.

"That's wonderful." The educator smiles at both of them, letting her gaze sit on the spectacled teen for a moment before she walks away, her heels clicking loudly.

"Now, getting started with chem, I want you to copy the questions on this here board. Answer them as best as you can. Based on your answers, I'll be able to see what you all know or may not know about chemistry." She scans the room with her blue eyes. "Understood?"

"Yes." The class says simultaneously.

"Good. Now get to work."

 

* * *

 

Lexi now sat in Geometry. Math was another subject that she hated, it's not that she wasn't good at it - no - it was just too much numbers that it eventually made her head hurt. She was at the front desk closest to the door, perched next to a boy with a huge afro of reddish brown hair and glasses atop the bridge of his nose.

During the five minute passing period, Lexi had heard conversations as she'd walk by that she was able to piece together in her mind that Jewfro - a guy that was perceived as being creepy - wasn't actually that bad. Misunderstood probably, but not creepy.

Honestly, she didn't know what would happen when she initially met him. She had started the conversation and the guy was overconfident at first and occasionally said some weird things - she did that sometimes too. So she understood him. The difference was that she wasn't as open about her randomness as he was. When she had asked him what his hobbies were, his face lit up like a friggin Christmas tree - well, like a menorah really.

"Hey, JB'rael?" Lexi still had to get used to calling him, she'd figure that it was about time she started doing that - being less serious she means. Last year, she wasn't the type to go around be playful and hell, being her age. She needed to start being a teen even if it meant starting by nicknaming her friends.

"Yeah?" He looks up from the assignment that she'd finished a long time ago. She even offered her own sheet to him, asking if he wanted to copy it, but he politely declined, claiming he wanted to do it on his own.

"Have you ever thought about what you'll be when you graduate from high school?" Lexi was very curious and for being a serious person all the same she was lost. She didn't know what to do with her life. At one point in time she had decided to become an astronaut, but that would backfire since she wasn't a big fan of heights. Being an architect had crossed her mind, only because Tatay had suggested it since he knew that they had a big salary. But Lexi thought about following in her grandfather's footsteps. Join the navy. She was strong enough. But she was sure that her family wouldn't let her.

"Jeez, you're thinking about graduating high school already?" Jacob gives her an amused look, grateful that he's finally made a friend that won't judge him. He was flabbergasted when he learned that this girl - such an innocent looking girl - was very dirty minded and she said weird shit too that left him speechless for a bit. He still can't get his mind off the conversation they had earlier about the capability of mermaids having sex. How would that even work? Would it just be their tails flapping against each - nope, he should stop right now. "You're only a sophomore."

"Really, you're asking the socially awkward girl who's most probably thinking ' _what's the point of life'_?" 

Jacob's expression turns thoughtful. "Alright, you got me there." He admits. "Probably a reporter, but I'm pretty certain that I'll get punched in the face or be charged with trespassing." He says casually, intending make a joke and it works.

Lexi snorts, crossing her arms as she leans back in her seat.

"What about a ghost whisperer?" Lexi comically suggests before her mind reenacts a light bulb moment, her smirk turns sinister. "Or what about a supernatural hunter? I'll help you look for horny mermaids."

Jacob chokes on a laugh, narrowing his eyes at the girl. "Sure, I'll have you on speed dial, Diaz."

 

* * *

 

Too anxious to go into the cafeteria, Lexi strolls around the empty hallways, attempting to locate a place where she could eat in peace. She cursed herself for forgetting to ask Kurt or JB'rael if she could accompany either of them at lunch, but alas it was not in her script.

Her eyes find another set of double doors - perhaps leading to the auditorium or imminent death. Just before Lexi puts a palm to the cold door, a strong but muffled voice is amplified through the doors. Lexi snatches her hand back like she'd been burned by the sudden voice. She's about to turn when the voice erupts once more. And an invisible force smacks Lexi upside the head. It possesses her. Her hand moves on its own accord and it pushes one door open. The multiracial girl sneaks into the auditorium, her plastic bag of food was still in hand and the voice brought shivers down her back, curving over her spine.

Lexi squints through the dim lights and her eyes widen when she sees the same petite brunette from the bathroom at center stage. Guilt floods her system. She gulps back a heavy drop of dry saliva.

 

_My life is brilliant_

 

The brunette takes a deep breath before starting again. Lexi could sense it already, she was a star in the making. It seemed like a big compliment and it was considering that Lexi was a person who didn't give much compliments. Honest, she could see it. There was something special there.

 

_My life is brilliant_

_My love is pure_

_I saw an angel_

_Of that I'm sure_

 

Lexi descends down the carpeted steps, her feet leaving noiseless shadows.

 

_She smiled at me on the subway_

_She was with another man_

_But I won't lose no sleep on that_

_'Cause I've got a plan_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful, it's true_

_I saw your face in a crowded place_

_And I don't know what to do_

_'Cause I'll never be with you_

 

The brunette stops for a moment and Lexi doesn't know what sort of foolery it was that had overtaken her. But she joins in. Sucking in a breath, then exhaling. She was never really an individual who sang in front of people - in front of strangers. She was used to karaoke at home at the reservation and competing against everyone else to see who'd get that perfect one hundred. But there she was about to belt out into song as if she was in a musical.

 

_Yes, she caught my eye_

_As we walked on by_

_She could see from my face that I was_

_Fucking high_

 

Lexi pretends to stumble, pressing an exaggerated palm to her forehead. The petite girl shakes her head, smile grazing her lips and it makes Lexi's heartbeat go faster without her even knowing it.

 

_And I don't think that I'll see her again_

_But we shared a moment that will last till_

_the end_

 

She smiles before joining Lexi just as the tan girl had reached the stage and was now walking towards her with hesitating steps, now realizing that - fuck - it would be rude to stop now.

 

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful, it's true_

 

Lexi gestures towards the short brunette, nodding her head as if agreeing with herself. She mentally gives herself a pat on the back when she not only earns herself a blush, but also a head ducking down.

 

_I saw your face in a crowded place_

_And I don't know what to do_

_'Cause I'll never be with you_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful, it's true_

_There must be an angel with a smile on_

_her face_

_When she thought up I should be with_

_you_

_But it's time to face the truth_

_I will never be with you_

 

Lexi and the brunette were smiling at each other unable to look away.

"You have an amazing voice Miss..."

"Berry. Rachel Barbra Berry. You have a lovely voice as well, but it does crack a few times during the duration of the number, but it does fit quite nicely considering that it is a gut wrenching song. However, with a few vocal lessons I can assure you that you'll have perfect pitch."

Rachel pauses, genuinely surprised when the tan girl doesn't stop her and is actually listening with thoughtful ears. "Anyways, enough about desirable vocal cords. What is the name I shall remember in order to put to one's face?" Her eyes were twinkling, shining with so much brightness. She tried to ignore her gut that screamed at her - screaming that this spectacled teen before her had left her in the bathroom with two of the most venomous people she had come to know. But it had soon gone when she met sparkling eyes that reflected back at her. It was delicate.

"By golly, where are my manners?! Lexi-Francis Xavier Ochoa Diaz is thy name Madam Rachel Barbra Berry." Lexi proclaims, thankful that she has seen a few Shakespearean movies and has remembered a few of the actors' mannerisms.

But to be truthful, she kind of had a mixed relationship with her name since it was too long. Lexi would scrunch her nose whenever she'd hear it, simply for the fact that it sounded like she was a snob with her five names in total and all. Though, she guesses that it's perfectly fine as long as her sister doesn't legally get rid of one of her own five names. Lexi bows, swiftly taking Rachel's hand and kissing the back of it ever so gently. A tingling sensation is on her lips. Pulling back, Lexi takes notice of the faint blush on Rachel's cheeks as well as her own.

"So, are you hungry? I'm willing to share." Lexi lifts up her plastic bag, kind of embarrassed that her lunch consisted of apple juice, Pringles, and a singular liver spread sandwich. Lexi closes her eyes momentarily, now wishing she hadn't asked that. She knew that a lot of people weren't into ethnic food and it included her lunch that she had mistakenly offered to share. There was the fact that Rachel could outright yell at her for leaving her in the bathroom. She was a terrible person, she admits. Guilty as charged.

"Its alright, I have my own food."

Lexi exhales a sigh of relief, not sure which reason for exactly.

"I wouldn't accept your offer even though I would absolutely love to, it's just - you see I've been a vegan for several years now. So it would benefit both of us if we just eat our respectable meals. But thank you for your consideration."

"Does having spectacular singing skills help with swimming?"

 

* * *

 

After the whole lunch period with Rachel talking about her dream of becoming a Broadway star - is this everyone's dream in Lima - and Barbra Streisand's fine work (she managed to dance around her angry thoughts about apologizing, why was she so scared) Lexi drifted into English II and ignoring the stares she has unintentionally caught.

She chooses a seat next to the window, tucking her pen behind her right ear. Her fingers were aching from carrying her books all day, so she places her knuckles onto the table and pushes down. Lexi savors the way all her bones had cracked under pressure. She could breathe again without becoming worried about the itch to crack her fingers.

Halfway through the class, a folded square piece of paper lands on her notebook. The sudden object makes her falter, wondering if there was a childish drawing of a penis on it. Yet, she opens it anyways and instead of an absurd picture she finds a sentence written in cursive that she struggles to read. Though, she eventually gets the hang of deciphering the swirls.

 

**_Meet me at the playground today at 6_ **

**_\- Quinn_ **

 

Overlooking the class, Lexi's gaze is hooked onto the blonde who stares back at her from across the room. Goosebumps form on her arms and she nods at Quinn before turning her attention back to the note. She knows that Quinn is still staring at her, but she doesn't pay attention to it. It's only when the teacher starts asking questions that Quinn eventually directs her gaze somewhere else.

 

* * *

 

Lexi sat with so much discomfort that not even a person with a low IQ score could ignore it, but that theory had soon changed when the jock beside her didn't leave her alone. It was like sitting in an electric chair. Just sitting there and they don't tell you when you're going to die. You just sit there and anticipate it. Nerves high strung. Jittery. It was torture. On second thought, she'd rather be on that electric chair than there. The bastard kept leering at her like a chunk of savory meat.

She was tempted. She was a few seconds away from blowing a gasket and screaming her head off. After that she was going to sit down calmly. But then she'd briskly turn in her chair and stab the lead of her number two pencils - which were all nubbed up from use - and into his beady little eyeballs. She really had anger issues.

But the seconds are held back and the idiot is muscled off the chair by a cheerleader. A uniform blocks her view of the fallen meathead on the floor.

Lexi moves her gaze upward and the tingles are back again. She grits her teeth in annoyance, pissed off that her body was going against her. Fucking Christ. 

She refuses to the look the cheerleader directly in the eyes whether it's because she was nervous or...that she was _nervous_ , so she looks straight ahead - something that she's definitely not. Lexi was positive she was going to get bullied at the moment. Fuck fuckity fuck. So much for a first day. It was stereotypical but she thinks that a majority of cheerleaders had quite sassy attitudes. And the one beside her was no different.

"Here's how it's gonna be goin'. You've met my really close friend Brittany and she tells me you gots something going on under that plain loose shirt." 

Hearing her raspy voice for the first time - Santana's voice for the first time, she found out her name during the attendance - her legs turn into jelly. It's a good thing she was sitting down. Wait, what? Did she hear that right? What the fuck?!

"Come over to my place so I can see for myself." A manicured finger brushes against her earlobe and it twitches. Santana let's out a laugh at the reaction. "FYI, I'm not a lesbian. Perverted dicks just expect me to make out with other hot chicks, so why not explore the feminine terrain no matter how nerdy." Her lips were already husking into Lexi's ear, nipping at it teasingly as the tips of the spectacled girl's ears heat up.

Lexi couldn't stop her reaction. It was a turn on. She couldn't stop her extra appendage from reacting as well. She groans as tension grows. Okay, maybe cheerleaders were sassy and...kind of narcissistic because this one knew she was attractive. She was feeling a mixture of fear and anxiety, it was not a good combination.

"I'm sorry. I truly am, but I have p-plans." She rushes out with a stutter, gasping for air when the Latina began sucking on the spot behind her ear. 

And right on time, the bell rings and makes a mad dash for her next class all the while thinking of zombies and maggots.

Even if it was a sexual encounter - which it probably was - Lexi was certain that she wanted to avoid Santana for the entirety of her upcoming high school years. 

Somehow, her thoughts didn't sound convincing at the moment.

 

* * *

 

She had told Graham that she was going for a run, which was true, but it wasn't for exercising. She was racing her way through Lima Heights and gets to the playground in record time - the playground is surprisingly empty. 

Lexi walks towards the place under the bridge, no longer hesitant. Quinn was already there, ridden of a tight pony and a uniform in exchange for a headband and a baby doll dress.

"Hey." 

"Saw you at school today."

Lexi doesn't know how to respond to the remark, remaining where she was, standing and shifting on her feet, not quite in the mood to sit.

"Look, you were brave for walking up to me yesterday. It was stupid on your part, I could've sprayed you with mace."

Lexi grimaces at that tiny fact, eyes widening on what could've happened.

Quinn chuckles at the face, closing her eyes tiredly for a quick second. "I don't know if it was a genuine act, but I can't talk to you." She thinks for a moment and adds. "In public. What you did...it showed me that you're a good person and that you weren't doing it out of selfish reasons, but on your own terms." The blonde bites her lip, gnawing at it that skin was peeling off. "Despite that, I still can't talk to you. It'll damage my reputation at school." Her last sentence ended with an icy tone, enough for Lexi to flinch.

The tan girl sighs. "Fucking social hierarchy." It hurt more for a reason unknown. She had only met this girl yesterday, but the statement hurt.

"Yeah."

"That's fine." Lexi whispers.

_No, it's not._

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

"Let's make a deal." Lexi looks at her dead in the eye, gaining courage. "I'll leave you alone as best as I can if you tell me why you were crying yesterday." Lexi knows it was a dirty suggestion. Basically like black mail. Lexi swallows the layer of saliva that kept flowing in her mouth for the sake of her chapping lips. "I really just want to help you."

Quinn glares at her, her hazel eyes turning cold. "That's too personal."

Lexi thinks back to a memory earlier, when she had seen Quinn and her lackies roughing up a girl with bad acne - a senior for crying out loud. They used slushie to attack her. It makes her jaw clench angrily. The girl in front of her was something else, vulnerable with a hint of cruelty.

"It's the least you could do if you're going to treat me as bad as that senior in the hallway." Lexi doesn't bother looking at Quinn. She sees only red. "You're the queen of that hell hole, right? Big accomplishment for a sophomore." Anger bubbled in her chest, but she thinks she understands where Quinn was coming from even if she was letting the idea of poplularity step all over her like a welcome mat. She only wanted to fit in. It just happens to be that she was the successful one to get labeled top dog.

Lexi doesn't know how long they've been sitting there, but the words aren't foreign to her ears.

"I'm gay."

Lexi's face becomes blank, neck snapping towards the occupant of the small place. Her heart pounds against her chest, against the structure of her rib cage. Its movements were enough to thrum against her bones' ridges, brushing against milky hardness. Potassium. Not just calcium. She wondered what Graham was cooking for dinner. Shrimp? Lately, whenever she ate it, her hands would itch. There would be red marks on her palms. It's not like she was allergic to it, but she was having doubts. Wait was that possible? Can you develop allergies even if they weren't present before? Lexi will have to do some research when she gets home.

"Can you please say something?"

Lexi doesn't realize that she's been silent for so long, the voice that gathers her attention cracked - begging for an answer.

She licks her lips. "It would be very hypocritical of me if I called you by a derogatory word. I'd rather not."

The breath Quinn releases shudders, quaking dangerously. "You are?"

Lexi leans her back against a thick pole - one of the pillars of the metal bridge - angling her head to the side to get a good look at the blonde. It saddened her that she was frightened over nothing. "You have terrible gaydar."

But her expression turns somber, replaying their entire conversation.

"You were crying because...you found out you're gay?"

Quinn smiles bitterly, wringing her hands until they were a blotch of white and red from pressure. "My grandparents came over for dinner. As usual, the conversation was about politics. It's what you'd expect from a Christian and Republican white family. Although, my parents are supportive. It's just that their parents have them on a tight leash and by default I'm on a longer and even tighter leash."

Lexi puts the pieces together, remembering the tall guy that was always by Quinn's side like a lost puppy. "So that tall guy - Finn is your beard. And your parents already know you're gay?"

The blonde nods, nose scrunching.

That's a lot to take in.

"But then why do you have to date Finn? You know that's kinda like a cliche - the head cheerleader and the quarterback."

"Popularity."

Lexi scoffs. "What?" Shocked. "But you're already popular and truthfully, probably more popular than him. You're," she stutters. "You're seriously intimidating."

The hazel eyed teen seemed pleased at the honesty. "I've always wanted to win the prom queen title. My sister has done it countless times."

The tan girl deduces the words. "So you're trying to prove something." It was a statement, she's never said something so blunt and her eyes widen as she looks away from Quinn and plants them on the ground.

Quinn sneers, mildly put off by the spectacled teen's intuition. "As if you don't."

Lexi shrugs, absentmindedly tracing the slight protruding veins on the outer part of her hand. "That's true." And an afterthought. "I have," she snorts, hopeless. "Quite a few things to prove."

"Dating Finn," she breaks the silence. "It's more of a protective blanket - the idea. Guys don't try to hit on me because I'm off limits and I don't have to sit through the disgust of these horny neanderthals. Although, Finn, h-he's sweet, but intimacy is getting much harder to handle with him."

"Break up with him."

Quinn eyes the taller girl, attempting to get a stable standing on her angle. "What?"

"Yeah." She pauses, backtracking in her mind. "Oh, sorry. I don't mean to pry or tell you what to do with your love life, but the more you talk about it...it just makes it seem like dating is starting to become a liability. Also, you're gay and you don't need a beard to keep the assholes from asking you out." She shrugs a shoulder. "And the intimacy part? He's a guy. It's in his code to eventually want more no matter how sweet he is. So sex is probably fogging his mind."

"Are you some sort of psychologist?"

"Nope." The word pops. "Just telling it how I see it."

The phone in Lexi's right pocket rings and it causes her to stand straight up, already pressing the flip phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

" _Wolfie! Come home now. Graham has a surprise for you!"_

"Do I have to, Graham?"

" _Yes! Hurry up! I'll see you in a few minutes dear._ " Tilda doesn't give her time to argue and immediately hangs up.

Sighing, the dark haired teen pockets her phone and turns to Quinn who has a raised eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"Graham?"

Lexi blushes under her gaze. "Long story short, I was trying to say grandma at a ripe tiny age and ended up saying graham instead. The name stuck." She shrugs, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "She said I had to go home."

Quinn hums, getting up. "Bye, I guess." There was a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Hey." Lexi puts her hand on Quinn's exposed shoulder, ignoring the tingles that glide up her arm. She mistakes the tone for panick. "Don't worry, I swear on my rainbow soul that I won't speak of this to anyone."

Quinn smiles, eyes fluttering. "I know you won't."

Lexi smiles back, turning to leave, but a warm hand catches her elbow - it sends shivers up her arm. The spectacled girl raises an inquiring brow.

"I forgot to give this back to you." Quinn stretches her other hand out, a turquoise handkerchief in it.

Lexi smiles grows wider. She uses her free hand and cups Quinn's, closing the blonde's fingers over the small cloth.

"Keep it."

 

* * *

 

"Graham, I'm home!"

Lexi walks into the living room, shoeless after disposing her shoes in the closet in the hallway.

Instead of one person, there were two people. Two heads turn around from their spots on the couch. The first being Graham and the second one belonging to Lexi's best friend. Cameal Lahote.

"Aren't you supposed to be in La Push?" Lexi questions first, though she's happy that her best friend was there she was more concerned about the why.

"Wow, tough love. I don't even get a hi before she bombards me with questions." Cameal shares a look with Tilda, who shakes her head already familiar with Lexi's mannerisms.

Tilda gets up and goes into the kitchen, knowing that the girl's needed their privacy. When her form disappears, Cameal vaults over the couch and tackles Lexi to the floor.

"Missed you dork." The shorter girl slaps Lexi on the forehead.

"Ow." Lexi's face scrunches. "Seriously, why are you here?"

"Last minute thing, my parents thought that it would be best if I moved over here. Confusing, but who am I to say no to a trip across the states?" Cameal was like an energizer bunny in public - and in private. She pinches Lexi's cheeks before scrambling off of her best friend and into the kitchen for food.

 

* * *

 

Lexi leans against the doorframe of the guest room, silently watching her best friend put away her clothes.

Cameal turns to her, rolling her eyes at Lexi's dazed expression before smirking devilishly. "Are you going to be staring at me the entire time or are you going to come over here and be useful?" She beckons with her finger, eyes drifting down to the crotch of Lexi's jeans and licking her lips. 

Lexi's eyes darken and she shuts the door behind her; despite being exhausted from school she still had energy left - a lot of energy left.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lexi has no face claim.
> 
> Ms. Berkley: (Face Claim) Naomi Watts
> 
> Cameal Lahote: (Face Claim) Katrina Law [she's 5'5 here, not 5'8] Height will change later in story.
> 
> Graham/Tilda: (Face Claim) Susan Roces 
> 
> Yes, I know that Susan Roces would be 67 years old on 2009, but in this story she would have been born in 1951 so she would be 58 years old in 2009.
> 
>  
> 
> Song: You're Beautiful (James Blunt)


	3. Very Confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to upload this over the weekend, but when I turned my phone on again, it completely wiped out my progress so I gave up. So fucking frustrating. Anyways, here it is!

Lexi wakes up at 4:38 AM the next day. Her eyes felt dry and she had to blink multiple times until she was satisfied that the dryness was gone if only for a moment. She wonders if this was the same dryness that she felt when she had eaten a bowl of shrimp. The night before things had settled in, she had the opportunity to check if it was possible to obtain allergies as you age. The dreadful answer was _yes_. She hated it. Now, she couldn't eat shrimp along with cashews and pistachios - she could care less about nuts, she only cared for the shrimp. How will she live now? She asks herself.

Quickly, she sluggishly pulls on her clothes that had been discarded onto the floor the night before.

She slips out of Cameal's room and goes down into the kitchen. Shoulders tense up due to the darkness that embraces the atmosphere. Without hesitation, she turns on the lights and looks behind her as if to make sure there wasn't someone that wasn't supposed to be there.

She stands at the doorless entryway that leads down into the basement - the dark basement. It's not that Lexi had a fear of it - of darkness - her brain just played these mind games on her a lot. Some nights she'll be content of the dark and some nights when she'd go to sleep after watching a horror movie she would go to great heights to check every nook and cranny - funny thing though, she's actually afraid of heights. It made her very lightheaded. 

It's not that the basement was scary; the basement was in fact very homey. It didn't remind her at all of those creepy basements in movies with dust and high strung spider webs that dangled from the corners. 

Lexi turns on the lights to the basement and it reveals a traditional staircase of nice, smooth steps. She zips down and flinches at the cold ground beneath her feet. The space was expansive, enough to throw a party with a few close friends.

The floor was smooth under bare feet. A thought springs to mind. Lexi proceeds to pirouette a few times, testing out the floor. She's never actually attended any ballet classes, but watching a few YouTube videos really did help her. And the floor was indeed perfect to ballet across. Though, Lexi didn't intend to ballet. She wanted to do something entirely different.

The next person trudges down the stairs and the clock had just hit the 5:30 AM mark. Cameal yawns into her loosely clenched fist; she was now dressed in a big wrinkled shirt and a pair of shorts.

She doesn't notice that the lights are on in the kitchen and she wouldn't notice if there was a zombie apocalypse going on.

But of course that won't happen, this is a completely different story.

Cameal attempts to pull the fridge open, but it doesn't work on the first try because of how boneless she was feeling at the moment. With a soft groan, she utilizes both hands, mustering all her aching strength to pull a simple fridge open. She shivers when the air hits her exposed arms, her goosebumps bubbling up.

Her hand barely grazes the gallon of milk when a noise reaches her ears.

So being the tired human that she was, she forgoes a drink of potassium and waddles over to the doorless entryway. As much as Cameal hates to admit it, she'd probably be the first to die in a horror movie - probably that chick that says hello once they hear something.

The spectacled girl is in the middle of flaring when a voice interrupts her.

"How are you alive and doing that already?"

Lexi catches herself as she almost slips from her hand. She comes to a stand, wiping her drenched forehead and grimacing at the discomfort of the obvious shirt sticking stubbornly to her lower back. She shrugs before bounding up the steps two at a time, shutting the basement light behind her.

Coming to a stop next to the shorter teen, she doesn't get in a word of protest when Cameal decides to clamber up her waist like a monkey. She never did like hugging people, especially when she was sweaty.

"Make me breakfast."

Lexi shakes her head at the older teen's demand, feeling Cameal mumble into her shoulder. "I can't cook." It's her automatic response. "I'll burn the house down."

"Bullshit. You're just being lazy."

"Yup. And I can only cook eggs and bacon." 

"Which is breakfast." Cameal tries to use her weight to push Lexi in the direction of the stove, but to no avail it doesn't work. The taller teen merely moves an inch, but other than that she uses her fingers to turn off the lights and her legs to go upstairs and back into Cameal's dark room. She locks the door and keeps the lights off.

"Being partly Asian, I'm obligated to tell you that eggs and bacon are considered breakfast, lunch, and dinner in my good Filipino household." 

Cameal snorts. "And being partly Taiwanese, I'm obligated to tell you that there better be some beef noodles in this breakfast later."

"Told you, I don't cook." Lexi repeats.

Cameal slides off of Lexi and onto the bed. She takes off her clothes and not an inch of underwear was underneath. She was already wet, having rubbed herself on Lexi's lower back as they ascended up the stairs. As she scoots up the bed, her toes teasingly brush over the crotch of the younger teen's sweatpants. Cameal knew for a fact that after sex, Lexi would wear no underwear the next morning except her sports bra. And she didn't get it. Boobs should breathe after a long day and instead the nerd still traps them in her sports bra. Cameal mentally shakes her head at that.

Lexi disposes her clothes into a neat pile on the floor. She slides across the bed in a seated position, waiting for Cameal to perch above her as she puts her glasses on the night table.

"You and your antics." The older teen throws a leg over Lexi's hips, hands on shoulders. She felt hardness brushing against her slick folds and she takes an intake of breath. It tickled.

Lexi's slightly calloused hands settle on toned thighs, fingers stroking heavenly skin that tenses under her touch. "You love it. _Ow!_ "

Cameal smirks at the glare directed at her. Instead of apologizing, she squeezes her thighs, ensnaring her willing prey. 

The younger native knew that Cameal always enjoyed being on top. Kinky bitch too. Lexi could tell that her best friend had a thing for nerds. Sapiosexual as hell. So once she felt those thighs wrap tighter around her lower half she gulped.

Cameal's eyes flutter when she sinks down onto smooth hardness, coating it with her moist walls. When she opens her eyes again she flicks Lexi on the nose when she spots her in the act - she was trying to bite her back. You could tell that they had a competitive relationship. The last time they had been sexually competitive was when Lexi had to come here to Lima. Cameal was helping Lexi pack her belongings when they had decided to see who would last longer if they packed whilst being naked. Lexi won. Cameal was such a horn dog.

Lexi narrows her eyes when Cameal leans back, using her neck as a stable pole. She had to find a way to even the scores. She thought as she wrapped her arms around Cameal's waist.

They rocked against each other. 

Cameal rubbed as much of herself as she could without letting her guard down. She did _not_ want to get bit. But she wanted to. It was one of her kinks and she was not shy about proclaiming it to the world. Fuck, she did not plan this out. It was more torturous for her.

Lexi's arms tightened, pounding her pelvis upward, enjoying the soft slapping sound of skin. She was sweating again and she was curious to know how many calories she has lost and about to lose.

"Seen any hot chicks yesterday?"

Lexi raises a brow, licking her chapped lips. "Hot?" She had stopped moving after Cameal gripped her shoulders with short fingernails. It was one of their codes. Cameal wanted to take the lead on this one. "That's not such a gentlewomanly thing to say." 

Cameal's gaze burns into her own twinkling eyes. "Fuck you." Cameal whimpers, continuing to maneuver up and down. 

When the hands on her hips force her to stop she groans in agony. And she stares down at the other teen who's dead set on making her scream. She's positive that it would be a silenced one though, both of them didn't want to wake up the other occupant of the house. A shudder slithers through Cameal's spine.

"Fuck me?" Lexi chuckles, her voice coming out with a raspy tremble that it makes Cameal's inner walls flutter. 

Cameal gasps when Lexi suddenly cants her hips. Her prick hit it. It hit exactly where she wanted it to. And Cameal was ready to cum at that.

" _Fuck me?_ "

Hips bound up again and the words come out with Lexi's own desperate, whispered groan.

With strong hands, Cameal is jolted forward and she releases a small squeak, arms finding themselves on shoulders.

Closer.

Lexi ducks her head, mouth infused on a nipple, tongue circling the areola as she repeatedly pumps her swollen cock into a heated cunt. Slipping in and out it went and more silenced whimpers filled the room. She glances up at Cameal who bites on a knuckle to stop herself from making noise.

"Come on, Cammie." Lexi forces through gritted teeth, jaw clenching that it was beginning to hurt but it didn't compare to the sensational pain tightening in her stomach. Coiling. Bunching up. She drags her teeth over a breast and assaults a delicious collarbone that smelt of fresh daisies. Nipping at it, she sucks on the defined bone softly. "Fuck _me_ harder if you're _that_ mad."

She drives her hips up once more, hard. She stops, locking eyes with Cameal.

They take off. Their skin slapped harder against each other. Sweat collected on their bodies, trickling slowly down their concentrated foreheads. It was so difficult to not let the headboard ram into the wall as they moved, it served as motivation, but they still needed to be quiet.

Cameal clasps her lips onto Lexi's. Tongues melding together, sliding in a rhythmic dance. Whimpers. Groans.

Their movements become irregular now. Pounding. Fucking. 

"Touch me. _Touch me_."

Cameal forces down Lexi's hand between their joined bodies. And she cries out with delight at the thumb that gladly rubs her engorged clit, knotting out its agonizing tension.

Lexi moans, her stomach was tightening harshly. She felt like she was about to pass out and silence was wringing in her ears that soon found Cameal's ragged breaths of ecstasy.

Release.

They clutch at each other, hands grabbing backs. Almost heaving. Chests expand together with lungfuls of exhausted breath.

They lay beside each other, staring at the ceiling for who knows how long. The silence is broken rather quickly. Cameal turns her head, inquiry on her expression.

"What are you laughing about?"

The innocent look on Lexi's face leads her to think that she won't like the response very much.

"Touch me. _Touch me_."

Cameal punches Lexi in the shoulder to which it doesn't effect her at all. Lexi continues moaning mockingly, grabbing fistfuls of her own hair in exaggerated fashion.

"Fuck you, you goddamn asshole."

"And fuck we did."

 

* * *

  

Cameal was not pleased when Lexi hadn't prepared breakfast like she'd wanted to. She wanted to see Lexi run away from the oil that threatened to splatter out of the pan. That would be a hoot to see from what Grandma Tilda had told her. But she shouldn't really say anything since she'd be doing the exact same thing. The woman had cooked spam with eggs and rice. Maruchan had been heated up in the microwave and Cameal was definitely feeling happy.

But she could tell that Lexi wasn't feeling very happy about what she was wearing. She wore a bright orange shirt that she wore with skinny jeans. Ever since they were kids, Cameal knew that Lexi was very conscious about things. And since that thing with...that _thing_  that happened, Lexi was even more anxious. And she was worried. It had affected her OCD. She did more things than usual that she couldn't quite understand.

But wearing that bright orange shirt made Cameal understand Lexi's mind. 

It was simply too bright.

She told her so.

"No, it's not that. Well, actually it is that, but it's also the fact that it's not subtle."

In order to appease herself, Lexi had given Cameal the dark grey hoodie she had been wearing to be more subtle. She absolutely did not want Cameal to get slushied. She was not having it.

They were at Cameal's new locker, having been at Principal Figgins' office quite quickly. 

Lexi was scrolling through Cameal's schedule. Her eyes widened because there's no way in hell that that was possible. Was this because they're both from the reservation in La Push? She shakes her head. Okay, whatever.

And Cameal had seen these eyes widening. "What?"

Lexi shrugs.

Cameal narrows her eyes before rolling them in exasperation, very used to this vagueness. She locks her locker and doesn't check.

Lexi fidgets in her spot.

"What?" Cameal asks again for a different reason.

Lexi doesn't answer and her hand rushes forward, antsy fingers tugging Cameal's lock ten times.

"Happy now?"

"Very. Also we have all the same classes together." Lexi adds thoughtlessly, blinking at Cameal's shocked expression.

"Really, that's it?"

"What's it?"

"That's your only reaction to this."

Shrug.

The older teen sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lexington, I don't know whether I should shake you to see if you're awake or to see if you still have any brain cells left in that noggin' of yours."

Lexi smirks as Cameal slips her arm into Lexi's, strolling over to Spanish class. "No to both."

 

* * *

 

Kurt raises a brow at the interaction that plays out before him. He doesn't know if he should be nosey at the moment because really he's like that - he can't help it. Or if he should just sit back and relax because gay is gay. And it was very entertaining to watch. He wondered if Cameal and Lexi were dating because they were incredibly touchy with each other.

Though, with these distracting thoughts he isn't prepared for the question that is hurled his way.

"So you gotta boytoy?"

He splutters at the whispered question as he feels his face become red. He remembers only blushing that much when he had eaten that taco that he didn't know his father had put chili seasoning on and he had to drink loads of water to get the burning feeling off his tongue.

Lexi face palms beside him and he's thankful for her. Bless her rainbow soul.

"Dude."

Cameal carries a look of defensiveness and he would have laughed if he wasn't so embarrassed at the time. And it was a pretty tame question, but it was very surprising. Spontaneity hasn't hit him in a long time.

"What?"

"Remember where we are." Lexi raised a brow in warning. "This isn't appropriate conversation for a school environment." With the tone that she'd used, Kurt was pretty certain that she was teasing and it made him feel better.

"That's not what we were doing earlier in the morning."

Kurt splutters again, cursing at both of them to stop. He's never had the sex talk. His father, Burt, was never really the type to talk about intimacy. It was horrendously awkward. And that was what he was feeling when Cameal and Lexi turn to look at him.

"If I didn't have good gaydar, I would've thought you were creaming your pants at the sinful thought." Cameal tells him and he likes her personality even more. She was blunt and he liked that in his friends...actually...they were his only friends, but he still appreciated good sarcasm. And Rachel probably, but after further consideration he came to terms that she was too intense for his liking. 

 

* * *

 

Brittany didn't know what to make of Cameal. But she sure did know one thing, she didn't like the divided attention that she was getting.

But she could tell that without them saying it out loud that there was a lot of history there. It was in the atmosphere. She could smell it - not really though, she didn't have that power. But she could feel it. It was prickling the air. And it stung.

So when Lexi had drawn another image for her - this time of an open lighter that was ignited - she had ignored the tiny stabs in her chest and settled on doing something else. And she was getting better at it too. Quinn and Santana were really rubbing off on her.

When Lexi had gone to the back to get tissue, Brittany turned to Cameal. "Have you ever watched horror movies?"

At Cameal's momentary confused expression she smirks inwardly. She receives a hesitant nod.

"So you know how serial killers use torture?"

Another nod.

"I want to do that sometimes." Brittany's tone is serious.

A pause is taken and Cameal's eyes widen. Brittany eats it up and then a smile overcomes her lips.

"But I want to use rainbows and hugs instead."

Cameal let's out a sigh of relief that she didn't know she was holding. What the fuck?

Brittany continues smiling, only grinning in a much wider manner when Lexi sits down again.

 

* * *

 

When Lexi had unpacked she'd found a small voice recorder. So here she was now, giving it to Jacob because really, she's never used it. So she might as well just give it to the person who actually wants to be a reporter or a supernatural hunter.

"Are you sure?" He looks at her uncertainly as Cameal gives him an assuring thumbs up.

Lexi nods with her brows scrunched. When she gave people something she was always sure that she was sure. She's thought long and hard about it. And for her, thinking for a whole twenty-four hours is long enough. She knows they've only known each other for a day, but he was a nice guy. Well...to her at least, she's not sure about everyone else though. "Yeah. I'm definitely sure."

"Who knows, JBI? You'll probably land yourself on TMZ." Cameal whispers as she leans forward from her seat behind them.

Jacob smirks at the suggestion. "That does sound promising." He could imagine himself now, probably sticking his new recorder in a celebrity's face.

It's Lexi's turn to smirk. "Are you going to try and record mermaids moaning?"

Jacob groans with exasperation as he facepalms, staring at Lexi between his open fingers. "Really?"

"What?! It's a genuine question."

The spectacled boy rolls his eyes. "Sure. I swear, what's with her and mermaids?" He raises his wide eyes at Cameal.

She shrugs. "I have no idea." She really didn't have an idea. The only thing she knew was that Lexi had a habit of asking the weirdest questions. It was taken to an extreme whenever the younger girl consumed candy. She would be a hyper bitch.

Lexi scoffs. Sure, most of what she says was about mermaids, but she liked learning about other supernatural things. There was this one Filipino movie she'd watched from the _Shake, Rattle & Roll _series, there was a woman who'd transform in the middle of the night - she didn't transform exactly. She sort of just cut off her torso from the rest of her body and sprout out some wings. It was called a Manananggal. It could be killed by preventing it from returning to its lower body after sunrise. The thing about its lower half was that it was stationary - it would stay exactly where the supposed woman had left it. The other was finding its lower body and spreading salt or maybe even garlic on exposed flesh since it was y'know, literally split from its torso.

And this is exactly what she told them.

Jacob falters in responding for a second. "Remind me to never go outside at night if I go to the Philippines."

Lexi chuckles. "Sure."

Cameal turns to her. "And remind me to get out of the room if you're ever going to watch a _Shake, Rattle & Roll _movie."

Lexi responds without a missed beat. "No promises."

 

* * *

 

Lexi didn't know if it was a good idea to bring Cameal with her to the auditorium. It just didn't feel right. When she had spent her lunch period sitting with Rachel and solely Rachel, she'd thought that it should stay that way. Private. What they did felt like it was supposed to stay between them. The auditorium was their space only. And she also wanted the alone time to apologize properly, she still couldn't get over the fact that she cowered away when two cheerleaders showed up. One of them was Quinn, which makes the whole thing even worse.

But the thing was, she didn't want to leave Cameal alone. She had no other choice.

When they had walked into the auditorium Rachel was already there, sitting with her leg over the other on the edge of the stage. She hadn't looked up yet when both of them had entered, but once they set foot on the stage her head turned up. And her eyes had widened. At that, Lexi gulped, cursing herself. She shouldn't've assumed that Rachel would want more company.

"Hey, Rachel." Lexi's steps were slow and calculating as if she were coming into contact with a loose lion. Fuck, she really shouldn't have assumed. "Um, this is my best friend. Cameal."

Cameal had watched their small interaction and was quite delighted on what she was seeing. Call it a girl's intuition, but she had a strong feeling that Rachel did not enjoy her being there with them with the way the petite teen's eyes had narrowed at her. But when her eyes had settled on Lexi. _Whew!_ Boy, had her expression changed tremendously. And Lexi? Don't get her started on Lexi. She knew her best friend very well, which is literally why they're best friends. And when Lexi had a crush, it was obvious. And in those few seconds she had devised a plan.

"Yup. Very close best friends." Cameal had sidled next to the taller girl, brushing their arms together and winking teasingly.

The spectacled teen's cheeks flared up with immense heat. Her eye twitches, recognizing one of Cameal's dirty rotten tricks.

"Nice to meet you, Rachel. Name's Cameal Lahote."

Rachel had gotten up to her feet, reluctantly shaking Cameal's hand. She does something surprising. "N-Nice to meet you too." It was a small stutter, but it would be noticeable to intuitive ears. And Lexi had definitely caught it with a firm glove.

Rachel Berry, stuttering?

"Shall we eat?" She gestures to the piano where her small pink bag was at.

"We shall." Lexi responds with a bright grin as Rachel finally smiles brightly, the small grim expression is gone. The small brunette goes to the piano with her back turned to them.

Cameal closes in on Lexi's ear from behind, whispering. "Want to eat me out?" She smirks when Lexi jolts under her touch when she'd slipped her hand into Lexi's jeans and compression shorts. It got hard instantly. As much as she knew Lexi hated to admit it, she was a horn dog as well.

Lexi groans quietly, watching Rachel's back. She attempts to take the hand out of her jeans, and thankfully it complies only after she'd whispered again.

"Or maybe you want to eat Rachel out?" Cameal slaps her ass before walking in Rachel's direction.

Lexi glares, steeling the pain that Cameal had caused down below. Quickly, she tries to calm herself, willing the blush on her face to go away as well as the thought of going down on the other girl. Fuck, she needs to stop. She didn't like thinking about people like that. Like they're just there for the idea of sex. Plus, Rachel is a friend whom she just met yesterday. She barely knew anything about her and she kinda hopes that that would change. Back in La Push she didn't have much friends so call it an early New Years Resolution but she's determined to make friends even if it's only a few.

For now, let's focus on the fact that she was turning into a horn dog and Cameal was rubbing off on her. 

 

* * *

 

For the second time that day, Cameal and Lexi were off fucking - in the bathroom. They had asked to go to the bathroom together. A girl emergency type of thing and the teacher had barely batted an eyelash, not caring at all for the excuse. So it had been three minutes already and they had to get to class.

The bathroom door was locked and skin continued slapping against each other. Cameal was getting fucked from behind, her wet juices mixing with Lexi's as a hot dick entered her moist hole. They had both discarded all their clothes and the cool air was brushing all over their joined bodies.

A lot of things were going on. Cameal whimpered as she clutched the wrist of the hand that massaged her breast, tweaking at her erect nipple. Lexi's mouth had taken her shoulder hostage. And now her thigh had been put on the edge of the cold sink as strong hands caressed her elevated leg.

Cameal gripped the sink, knuckles whitening at the pleasure vibrating through her loins. She watched her reflection. Their reflection. Lexi was staring back at her and her eyes drifted down. Cameal's eyes naturally followed and she quivered at the sight of her cunt getting entered by a smooth prick.

Cameal moaned louder as the head slammed into that spot. Her hand sought out Lexi's hip, grabbing it tightly from her position as her moans got louder as Lexi hit it repeatedly. Soon enough, their climaxes rushed in together.

They shared one kiss and it starts again as Lexi turned Cameal around, lifting her up the sink and licks at the drenched folds that's flowing with juices. Her tongue darts out and brushes over the engorged clit. Thighs clench around her head and she pulls them apart, kneading the tension in them as she continues sucking and licking.

After they had gone another round they cleaned up and rushed back to English II. Taking their seats, they begin working on their assignments.

A while later Cameal nudges Lexi with her elbow. "I think she has a crush on you." But a second later, her face twists into a confused expression. Because she was very confused, for she didn't know which girl she was exactly talking about since she had scanned the room and caught a cheerleader glaring at her. Cameal's eyes awkwardly shift away, waiting for a few more seconds before turning her head again. And shit, the cheerleader was still glaring at her.

Lexi's pencil halts on the paper, but she continues working again as she asks.

"Who does?"

"At the moment, I have no fucking clue. 'Cause first, Brittany was giving me this whole serial killer vibe." Cameal shivers at that. It was fucking scary. "And when you came back after getting a tissue she was all smiles and everything. Then, at the auditorium, Rachel was giving me a fucking stink eye. For just _being there_ I think." She shrugs.

She chances a look to her left again and across the room, the blonde cheerleader is no longer staring at her. Cameal breathes a sigh of relief and directs her attention on Lexi who is still working, but more slowly. Cameal rolls her eyes because she knew Lexi was overthinking all this information again.

"And now that Fabray chick - the cheerleader - was giving me a glare and now I'm scared for my life."

Lexi stops working now. She shakes her head in disbelief.

"No."

"Uh, yes."

"No. Why would somebody ever like... _this_?"

She points a finger at herself with a disgusted face. Yes, she admits that she's insecure as shit. She probably was a pile of shit or will become a pile of shit in the afterlife. But all she knows is that, she hopes to God that Santana doesn't start anything again. She thinks that Santana only wants sex, but not her. But now that she replays every interaction that she's had for the past one and a half days...she's just confused. Very confused.

 

* * *

 

 "Okay."

"What's okay?"

Cameal had taken the seat next to Lexi, glaring at the meat headed jock who tried glaring at her only to scamper away.

"Lopez tried to trip me in the hallway and now she's glaring at you and me."

Lexi immediately turns her head to face the board, not daring to look at any other student in the classroom, but the back of another dude's head.

"And tell me, _how_ is that okay?"

"You told me she tried to have sex with you yesterday, right?"

Lexi nods, afraid that her voice will crack from anxiety.

"You still think no one likes you?"

Nod.

"Lexington, that's called liking someone if they want to bang them. And from what is happening to me, I cannot safely say that everyone who likes you wants to _kill_ me."

Lexi groans, refusing to believe it.

The shorter girl beside her rolls her eyes. "Suit yourself. But just to warn you, when everything blows up I'll say I told you so, okay?"

Lexi glares and crosses her arms, still refusing to believe it. No way in hell that will ever happen.

"I don't care. It's not like something will happen. I've already vowed to never get in her way."

"Quinn's or Santana's?"

"Both."

"Lex, live a little. These girls probably dig you and you don't even want to use it to your advantage."

"Cameal." The tone left the message clear and solidified, it was not meant to be questioned. "You know what happened that made me this way, right?"

Cameal bites her lip, eyes filling to the brim with sorrow at the painful memory. She nods. 

"Then you should know that I don't want to feel...like I've been feeling for _nothing_. I don't want to experience that again."

The older teen sighs, agreeing for the behalf of her best friend. She agreed. Definitely, there was no doubt that Lexi should ever feel that way again. No one should feel that way. It's a disgusting feeling. But Lexi really needed to let it go. It can't be healthy. It's eating at her. 

"Later," she pauses, maybe it could help, not that she was implying that sex was an antidote. Lexi stares at her with that hardened expression, obviously still tense about a specific subject. "My room or yours?"

"Sorry, I'm not feeling the mood anymore."

"Movies then?"

Lexi quirks a brow, shrugging after thinking it over. "Sure. As long as you don't bring up that shitty but useful lesson slash experience then we're good."

Cameal grins, but on the inside she's worrying. She's been worrying for almost a year now. "You have a deal."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More will come children.
> 
> Ship Names:
> 
> Quinn Fabray x Lexi Diaz = Quex/Quexi
> 
> Rachel Berry x Lexi Diaz = Razberry/Raz
> 
> Brittany S. Pierce x Lexi Diaz = Briaz/Brexi
> 
> Santana Lopez x Lexi Diaz = Lextana/Sexi


	4. Building the New Directions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I love how cute and adorable baby Beth is, it won't be happening here because Quinn and Puck will not hook up. I repeat: WILL NOT!

 

**_AKA Pilot_ **

 

The routine continues on as the weeks of September pass by, bringing the school closer to October by a week or so. And a lot has definitely happened. 

She has earned herself eighty-something dollars from plucking out the white hairs that have managed to hide in Graham's gorgeous hair. It was twenty-five cents a strand or baby strand of hair. Jesus, she really needed to get herself a job, but for now she could do this.

Earning a little extra money could help her a lot since she has wanted to buy a new wallet and a baseball cap or two. Her wallet was red and of the trifold Velcro kind that had the words _'I heart Washington.'_ But instead of the word, it was an actual heart. Lexi wanted to grimace, it was childish in her opinion. In there she kept her library card and multiple strips of paper that came from fortune cookies.

Dammit, she just wanted a new wallet. And not the one that women carried with their small shoulder straps and a size too big to fit in a simple pocket. No, definitely not that type of wallet. She wanted a wallet that guys had. She wanted a black, leather, bifold wallet because it was subtle and not girly at all. It would do the job. It could carry her library card and the multiple strips of paper that came from fortune cookies. And her money, of course.

But the biggest tear jerker was when she got slushied. It was red. Big Quench. Red. The color she wanted to avoid most of all despite it being one of her favorite colors.

She had been walking to her locker, wearing this white shirt that her grandmother had given her with the image of a wolf. Tilda had bought it for her after seeing it, claiming: "Wolfie, this is the shirt that's made for you."

It had slapped her in the face as she was turning the corner, trying not to touch anyone as she ambled through the crowded hallway. 

Cameal had been following her, trying to catch up since she had gone to the bathroom. She had rushed to Lexi's aid, steering her in the direction of privacy as laughter started filling the hallway. It was only when the doors were closed that Lexi slouched down the wall and sobbed. She had choked on her heavy breathing. She pulled her into her side, not caring about the stains that would probably soak into her own shirt; Lexi trembled against her. She knew that Lexi wouldn't want to talk about it so she stayed silent. Cameal also knew that she didn't want to admit that it was a panic attack, but it was. It really was. Instead, Cameal held her.

They had stayed there for an hour until Lexi changed into new clothes. She was actually prepared for it, but emotionally she was not. She didn't talk the entire day, nor did she attempt to respond to anyone's questions. The teachers didn't even bother her with questions.

But being late to the first class made it worse. She was never late. And it drove her crazy that she had to go to the bathroom to punch the walls after making sure she was alone. She punched the wall until her knuckles were sore and red. 

When she had got home she went straight to the laundry that's connected to the basement and then went to bathroom to take a shower. Under the spray of warm water, her fists connected with the wall tiles.

It was only when she was dressed that she stared at the remains of her shirt. Red. Full of stains. She put it deep in her closet so that Graham wouldn't ask her what happened.

The next morning she woke up somewhere around 3:30 in the morning and she couldn't go back to sleep. She was dead for the whole week until the next week when she made peace with her mind that what happened in La Push was different to what happened at WMHS.

Lexi knew that Santana had sent that dumb slushie. That dumb red slushie.

She heard it in one of her classes as some students had spoken of it when they were the ones who had been slushied themselves. Santana Lopez had a thing for slushies and it wasn't going to stop. But in her case, it kind of did.

When she got to the class she shared with the Latina, the cheerleader would've probably sneered, but the thing is...she didn't. It was a one time warning because she had said no to the cheerleader's invitation. A one time thing, but Lexi didn't know that, only Santana did. The cheerleader simply looked at her and turned to the teacher with boredom in her eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

It was Cameal's birthday. A Saturday. The third of October. She was finally sixteen.

Lexi had bought her a unicycle for her present, remembering that as children Cameal had one, but it had been stolen when she left it outside. Lexi had gotten it at a garage sale for a good fourty-five bucks. It took all her courage to walk up the driveway and ask the nice lady how much it cost.

Despite her having only about thirty dollars now, she was happy that she bought it for Cameal. She deserved it for putting up with all her shit if she had to be honest. She doesn't understand what Cameal ever saw in her, but she's glad that she stuck around to deal with her awkwardness.

Now she was watching Cameal ride her unicycle in her skirt and a denim jacket. Lexi smirks. If they hadn't known each other for a long time, it would come as a huge surprise to know that such a fashionable girl had a hobby of riding a unicycle.

Cameal's parents had called and they wished her the greatest. It also reminded Lexi that she needed to call her own family. So getting up from her seat on the stairs in the basement, she gestured to her phone when the occupants (Kurt, Jacob, and Rachel) of the lower level asked her where she was going.

She decided to sit at the piano in the living room, pressing on the keys as she dialed up her Mom's number. It rings, but she doesn't answer. 

Her socked feet tap on the slick floor. She tried calling her Dad. Again, no answer.

So she tries calling Echo, her little sister - younger by one year. It rings. And when she doesn't pick up there's a heavy rock that plummets inside Lexi's chest. Echo's birthday was getting near too. Damn, she wishes her sister was there. Sometimes, she hates that she had to fly here to Lima alone. Her mind is full of questions. Why did she go to Lima alone? They should all be together, not only her. It's a lucky thing that Graham was there and that Cameal was there. She'd go insane without her family.

"Hey."

Lexi looks up as Cameal smiles down at her. The older teen sits next to her and nudges her shoulder.

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"My parents aren't picking up the phone and Echo isn't picking up the phone."

"They're probably busy, y'know?" Cameal shrugs.

"Yeah." Lexi looks down, fiddling with the sleeves of her hoodie. "I know."

Cameal smiles, hooking her arm around Lexi's. She rests her chin on a slumped shoulder. "Do you want sushi?"

At the question, Lexi's eyes light up and she chuckles. "You know I do."

"Come on then." Cameal tugs Lexi up from the piano bench and pulls her to the basement where their other friends were, though Rachel still glared at Cameal whenever she got frisky with Lexi. "What do you reckon we do with JBI?"

Lexi scrunched her brows. Fuck, she definitely forgot about that. Jacob had - _has_ a massive crush on Rachel. The thought makes her chest bubble with something odd. No, she can't possibly be jealous. That's what she's trying to avoid for so long. Feelings. Yeah, she has no idea what to do about that. She doesn't want to tell him that he has no chance if he keeps acting like a pervert and that he shouldn't try at all. 

"I don't know." She replies, hopeless.

Cameal sighs. She could tell that Lexi was still refusing to believe that anyone could like her. "You better do something." She says with warning in her tone. "If I ever did that to someone I'd want them to tell me so that I can back off." She said as they walked downstairs to find that the afroed boy was indeed making Rachel uncomfortable as he cornered her into the edge of the leather couch.

Kurt didn't notice any of this as he tried getting on Cameal's unicycle, but he kept tipping over.

Cameal gives Lexi a look.

Lexi shrinks under her gaze as she watches Jacob for a moment.

"Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do." Lexi groans. "But you do something first, I don't know what to do right now."

Cameal sighs begrudgingly, hand rubbing her forehead.

"Fine."

Cameal walks down the stairs and catches the back of the unicycle just as Kurt is about to tip over again. "Hey, Jacob! Give me a hand here."

"But-"

"Please!"

"JBI!"

"Okay, okay!" He winks at Rachel who shudders as he turns away.

Lexi walks over to her, holding a small paper plate filled with California rolls and a few vegan sushi too. She sits beside the petite brunette, putting a reasonable distance between them. The spectacled girl had to admit, Rachel looked cute in her polka dot dress with white socks and loafers. Lexi clenches her jaw, scrapping the thought away. Stop it.

"Okay?"

Rachel smiles at her as she takes one sushi from the offered plate. "Splendid." She grimaces a moment later. "I didn't know you were friends with JBI."

She shifts in her spot uncomfortably as she scoots closer to Lexi when Jacob glances in her direction. The spectacled girl notices, but doesn't comment.

"Uh...yeah. He's a good guy." Lexi shrugs, not knowing the right words to say. Maybe she should just keep out of this. It's none of her business who Jacob likes...but Rachel didn't look comfortable like she didn't feel safe. So Lexi was having none of it. She slides closer to Rachel until their exposed arms were touching.

"Is he really?"

"Yeah. He's the coolest guy I've ever met. I-It's just he gets carried away sometimes that his own mind blinds him from seeing what's wrong with the situation." Lexi pauses. 

Jacob looks in their direction again as he and Cameal help Kurt wheel around the room with both their hands at the back of the seat and holding Kurt's hands.

Rachel comes closer again, hand suddenly grabbing Lexi's elbow and the spectacled teen's breath hitches quietly. She imagines the steel cord. It's so clear in her mind as her heartbeat speeds up in her chest.

"Guys, come on let's get the board games from my room." Cameal makes eye contact with Lexi as she drags Jacob and Kurt up the stairs as the former can be heard arguing.

Lexi and Rachel are left in the basement.

Rachels hand slides from Lexi's elbow to her wrist. And the tan girl has no willpower to tell her to stop because she feels it, she knows what Rachel is probably searching for. Her right eye twitches nervously as fingers press down on her pulse. Her racing pulse.

From the corner of her eye, Rachel licks her lips. "I'm going to be quite honest with you now." They lock eyes and Lexi's cheeks heat up when she notices the proximity of their faces just inches away. _Don't look down. Don't look down._ She's afraid that if she looks down at lips that she might do something embarrassing.

"This is the closest I've ever been near you." Rachel gulps and Lexi looks down, eyes flying over luscious lips and onto a smooth, tan throat.

It's embarrassing how fast Lexi's cheeks heat up. Rachel giggles and Lexi thinks it's the most beautiful sound in the world. Fuck, why is she so cheesy? Lexi doesn't respond. No answer comes to mind and she thinks she has screwed herself over by making things more awkward than it needs to be.

But what happens next surprises her.

Rachel leans forward, kissing Lexi's cheek with the softest lips imaginable. "We still need to sing more songs together." She whispers before getting up from the couch, brushing her fingers over Lexi's pulse and walking upstairs. "I need to get water." She calls over her shoulder, leaving a mess of a person on the couch.

Cameal, Jacob, and Kurt burst down the stairs with Candy Land. Only Cameal seems to notice the awfully silent teen on the couch. She walks over. 

"What happened to you?"

"Water."

Lexi inhaled deeply, troubled. It took a month. She was so weak. _No!_ She can't think like that. They were friends. Just friends, Lex. That's all there is to it. Don't fuck it up. _It was just a stupid crush that's going to go away as fast as how much you consume sushi._ Her heartbeat calms.

When she notices Rachel - she always notices now - come down the stairs, the sudden strong thumping in her chest almost kills her. Almost.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexi walks down the hall. She spots Mr. Schue at the trophy case. And just for the heck of it after eating a whole Snickers bar, she greets him. "See you in Spanish, Mr. Schue."

She walks past the vest clad man and catches a glimpse of a plaque with the picture of a woman on it. Lillian Alder. Her eyes skim the quote. It was pretty obvious from that that she was the former glee club coach. Though, there was one question in mind. What was glee?

"Uh...yeah, Lexi. We're going to be learning a new lesson today so bring your textbook." He spares her a quick glance as she passes.

Later that day, Rachel is being flanked by Cameal and Lexi as they follow her to the choir room.

Lexi bumps into Rachel, not expecting the petite girl to stop so abruptly at the entrance. When Lexi stops, Cameal collides into her back, thus the brunette stumbling forward.

Lexi ducks her head, a string of apologies flying from her mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She hears Rachel sigh before warm lips press against her cheek. It seems to be an everyday thing with the brunette now and she doesn't care a bit that Cameal is right there behind them. "It's perfectly fine." The hand that rests on her chest lingers, fingertips brushing against the skin of her throat. Lexi gulps.

As Rachel swivels around to peek inside the room, Cameal whispers into her best friend's ear. "See, she likes you."

"Shut up, Cammie."

Cameal cackles quietly before speaking over Lexi's shoulder. "So what're we doing here?" She starts. "It's lunchtime. I'm hungry. You're hungry. And Lexi's hungry. And if you say we walked all the way over here for no apparent reason I'm gonna throw a bitch fit." She threatens.

"Well, Ms. Lahote, if you must know, I'm currently coming up with a diabolical plan that will finally utilize my acting skills. As enthusiastic as Mr. Sandy Ryerson is and is relatable due to his love for Broadway, he must be stopped. His inappropriate behavior must come to an end because frankly with him as an instructor I can't show off my star power and be able to dominate all my tormentors." She states in one breath, glaring into the room with eyes so sharp that it could cut through the hardest metal.

With curious eyes, Cameal and Lexi look over Rachel's shoulders to see that Ryerson was indeed being inappropriate. He was touching who looked to be a jock; he was caressing his torso. Whereas the older man looked giddy, the tall teenager looked highly uneasy.

They move from the corner of the door so that they won't be visible. 

Cameal and Lexi share a look as Rachel's eyes glint evilly.

"What're you planning?" Cameal asks.

"I'm going to get that man fired if it's the last thing I do."

Lexi blinks a few times, having a lot of difficulty processing this information. It was as if she was seeing Rachel in a new light. She was smirking and for once Lexi allows herself to admit that that expression had jammed an enormous portion of her heart.

She was falling.

Lexi excuses herself to go to the bathroom, thankful that Cameal and Rachel don't suggest to come with. There she stands at the sink, hands under cold water. Finally, she shuts the sink off and stands, staring down at the space between the sink and the mirror. It builds, encasing her entire being. Her mind was suffocating. 

Her fist connects with the wall. Again. And again.

She looks at the mirror again and tells herself: _Don't feel._

She meets Cameal and Rachel at the auditorium. It doesn't pull a string in her chest when Rachel kisses her cheek. 

Lexi forces a smile.

Rachel notices, but she doesn't comment.

The next day, after being cornered multiple times by the powers of Artie, Cameal, Kurt, and Rachel combined, Lexi finds herself looking at the New Directions sign-up sheet. She was feeling wary and doubtful especially because of the chunks of red slush staining the bulletin board. Red.

Mercedes Jones. Tina Cohen-Chang.

The latter's name sounded familiar. That was probably Artie's girlfriend. But the first name didn't sound familiar.

She inspects the ivory sheet and a smile breaks out across her lips when she sees a sticker of a golden star right beside Rachel's name.

Rachel's encouraging smile flashes behind Lexi's eyelids and it guides her decision. She takes out a black Sharpie in her left pocket and writes her name underneath Cameal's as neatly as she could, unaware of the fact that three pairs of eyes were staring at her from the end of the deserted hallway.

Blue. Hazel. Brown.

Those shades follow her as she slips into the bathroom to make it disappear again.

**_Don't feel._ **

 

* * *

 

Staying after school the following day, Lexi waits for her turn backstage. Her nerves were a bit tight. There's a huge difference between singing in front of one person and singing in front of a whole crowd. She hated the eyes. She hated eye contact. But despite the small treacherous nerves, she listened to Rachel's powerful voice. She was entranced as shivers crawled over her body as the petite teen sang _On My Own._

By the time that she was finished, Lexi was certain that all the small hairs on the back of her neck were giving a standing ovation. But Lexi doesn't have time to check as Rachel runs around the curtains, eyes finding Lexi and she breaks into a sprint. She jumps and latches on to Lexi. The spectacled teen on the other hand is surprised that Rachel felt so light in her arms. She could carry her all day if she wanted to. Lexi wanted to slap herself at the thought.

The scent of jasmine floods Lexi's senses and feels lightheaded. Lexi squeezes tighter before setting Rachel down on her feet, but the brunette holds onto the other teen's hands, savoring the warmth and the calloused palms.

"You're amazing."

For once, Rachel is stunned as she stares back at Lexi. She blushes, ducking her head. "Really?"

"Breathtaking."

Rachel blushes further.

All too soon, it's Lexi's turn and Rachel assures her that she'll do fantastic. With one last kiss to the cheek, Lexi is off, clenching her jaw too tightly.

She waits for the music to begin and a bundle of weight suddenly patches onto the nerves of Lexi's entire being. The pressure and tension she feels is so strong and warming. Her cold feet warm up and she's no longer anxious. It drives her and she's thankful for whatever it is.

 

_Here we go, come with me_

_There's a world out there that we should_

_see_

_Take my hand, close your eyes_

_With you right here, I'm a rocketeer_

 

Halfway through the song, Lexi falters when she notices that the Unholy Trinity was up on the balcony. Two of them were awfully serious and the other was beaming as brightly as she could.

 

_Up, up here go, go_

_Where we stop nobody knows_

 

Lexi smirks when Brittany starts waving her hands. Quinn and Santana turn to look at her, both saying something that it makes the tall blonde pout. It cause a small part of Lexi to deflate. She wasn't used to seeing that side of the blue-eyed teen.

 

_Baby, we can stay fly like a G6_

_Shop the streets of Tokyo, get you fly_

_kicks_

_Girl you're always in my mind_

_Got my head up in the sky_

 

Lexi jumps up into the air and rolls onto her back once the pads of her shoes touch the floor and transitions into a backflip. She was determined to make Brittany smile again. That's what friends did.

 

_Yo, now I ain't ever been to space before_

_But I ain't never seen a face like yours_

_You make me feel like I can touch the_

_planets_

_You want the moon girl, watch me grab it_

 

She pretends to grab something as she falls, landing on her palms and toes, them Lexi uses her left leg for leverage. It was a move that she had learned on YouTube. A dance move that was called the Scorpion.

 

_See, I ain't ever seen a star this close_

_You got me stuck by the way you glow_

_I'm like oh, oh, oh, oh_

_I'm like oh, oh, oh, oh_

 

She glides from left to right, hitting the _oh's_ with body rolls. She quickly checks the balcony and Brittany is smiling again. It lifts up Lexi's spirit and she's even more determined to make her proud. To make Rachel proud. They were her friends after all. Quinn and Santana? Strangers that she'd talk to a few times and once, respectively.

 

_Here we go, come with me_

_There's a world out there that we should_

_see_

_Take my hand, close your eyes_

_With you right here, I'm a rocketeer_

_Let's fly (fly, fly, fly, fly)_

_Up, up here we go, go_

_Up, up here we go, go_

_Let's fly (fly, fly, fly, fly)_

_Up, up here we go, go_

_Where we stop nobody knows_

 

The music ends and Lexi is bowing. Everyone backstage came out to applaud and it all fell behind ringing ears.

"You'll be a great addition to the New Directions, Lexi." Mr. Schue tells her from his spot as he walks down to the stage. Once he gets there, he congratulates all of them. "Congratulations, guys! You all qualify for glee club!"

Lexi jolts when Rachel suddenly screeches beside her and it erupts another cheer from the group of new glee clubbers. She takes a quick glance again and she catches sight of Brittany waving goodbye before following Quinn and Santana off the balcony.

"As much as I love the energy radiating through the stage, when is rehearsals?" Rachel asks.

 

* * *

 

 

When rehearsals had begun, she was so optimistic that it would set as smoothly as possible. Oh, how foolish of her. For once, she was actually optimistic. Very foolish indeed.

They had just finished their first number of - well, tried to finish - _Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat._ It was terrible.Lexi rubs the the part of her foot that Artie had wheeled over. She glared at him pointedly which caused him to raise his hands up in defense.

"Mr. Schuester, this is really upsetting considering the fact that my male lead - I don't mean to offend you Arthur." She glances at Artie who shrugs. "Is disabled and unfit for the role."

Lexi breathes in deeply, feeling distaste in her mouth. Rachel was her friend, but Jesus. She needed to not point those types of things out. Good, Lexi pats herself mentally on the back. Keep thinking of her like that Lex, it can all go away if you keep thinking of her like that.

"Actually, I believe that Mr. Schue chose me to make it ironic - to enhance the performance if you will."

Rachel huffs beside Lexi. "There is nothing ironic about show choir!" She storms out of the room.

Cameal takes Rachel's spot. "I think she's on her period."

Lexi grimaces. "You think that's the reason why she's moody?" She wanted to go after Rachel, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to have company at the moment.

Her best friend shrugs. "Yeah, sure, why not." Cameal knew that Lexi wasn't put off by talking about periods - shark week. Even if the girl had a dick, she was actually very educated about what was dubbed the female anatomy.

Lexi shrugs, turning to Mr. Schue. "I mean she's right. Show choir is peculiar. Full of misfits and all _that_." The spectacled teen spits out the last part at Artie, still mad.

"Hey, man! It was an accident!" Panic is scribbled on his face as he rushes out his words.

The next rehearsal, Lexi is still glaring, but for a whole different reason. Realizing that her thoughts showed on her face, she quickly attempts to mask her annoyance as she watches Rachel flirt with Finn Hudson - the quarterback for the school's losing football team.

She was damn near close to going out the auditorium to punch a poor wall, but thank God for Mercedes when she stops singing and cuts in between the two. Though, Lexi curses herself again. She really was going to have to punch a wall. Rachel can flirt with whoever she wanted to.

"Hold up, hold up! I ain't down for this background singing nonsense. Y'all can go John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John somewhere else. I'm Beyoncé, I aint's no Kelly Rowland."

"It's just one song, Mercedes." Schue cuts in, fiddling with his tie. "There'll be others that will require your service."

And the statement seems to work because Mercedes lets out a sigh. She turns to the tall quarterback. "You're good." She cuts him off when he tries to open his mouth. "But you better bring it."

When Mercedes walks back to her spot, Cameal gives her a high five. "Amen to you 'Cedes."

 

* * *

 

 

After watching Vocal Adrenaline perform, everyone didn't feel so pumped anymore. They were doomed as Tina had called it through the audience's hoots and whistles. It made them all feel so bad that it was probably why Mr. Schue had called them to the auditorium to tell them that he was resigning as their glee club director.

A few days later, Lexi is leaning her head on a locker, waiting for Cameal to fish out all her books from her locker. Her gaze travels ten feet where Rachel was talking to Finn.

"Hope she kicks the douche in the balls for being absent from glee club." Cameal tells Lexi as she pauses to watch the scene, unaware of the fact that Lexi was shivering with tension.

The shivers increase along Lexi's spine when Quinn and Santana walk towards Rachel. Three steel cords appear, an electric shock running through all of them as the fourth stays the same.

"Why are you talking to Man-Hands?" Quinn asks, her tone layered with false sweetness and a slick of deadly poison right there beneath it.

Santana sneers beside her. "Are you making it with the tranny?"

Lexi's right eye twitches and is unable to comprehend what her own body is doing. She's suddenly in front of the two cheerleaders, covering Rachel from their view. Normally, she would never be caught in the middle of a crossfire, but nowadays she seemed to have a thing for danger even if it did make her cry.

"Problem?" Lexi growls.

Rachel clears her throat and wraps a warm hand around Lexi's wrist, walking around her. "No, it's fine, Lexi." There was a raspiness to her voice that surprises the spectacled teen. She's read it in an article that dilated eyes and raspy voices were signs that someone was horny. No, she needs to stop. Because that would be impossible. What could possibly have made her horny? "I was just telling them that I had to discuss a science project with Finn that couldn't quite fit his level of understanding."

At that, Lexi realizes she's forgotten that the guy was actually there and she turns to look at him. He stares at them with constipation.

"Honestly, Lexi it's fine. Also, Cameal is waiting for you. It's best that you don't keep her waiting." And Rachel kisses her cheek as if they were the only ones in the hallway and aren't in the middle of a fucking confrontation. Okay? 

Lexi awkwardly glances at Quinn and Santana. She was surprised to find that they were staring at them with unidentifiable expressions.

"Well, okay. If you're sure?"

Rachel nods, smiling before squeezing Lexi's wrist and letting go.

 

* * *

 

Cameal and the others groan in frustration as Rachel continues to lead the tired group.

"D-Do something!"

Lexi stares at Tina. "What do you mean do something?"

The freshman gives her puppy eyes to stare at and Lexi is having a lot of difficulty withstanding it. "T-Tell her n-n-nicely that she needs to s-stop bossing u-us around."

"Ugh, fine. But you need stop stuttering around me."

She's rewarded with shock.

"B-But how-"

"You're not subtle."

Lexi's mind flashes to a memory when Tina had asked her if she could draw a map for her World Studies class. A picture of South America she remembers. And when she had made a remark about Tina drawing stick figures, that was when the goth had cracked. Meaning, the stutter went bye bye.

"Don't worry." Lexi pats Tina's shoulder, trying to make her feel better, albeit in her awkward way. "As you can see, I'm socially incapable, so your secret is safe with me." 

Lexi walks off without another word and goes in Rachel's direction. And she has no idea what to say now that she's thinking about it, but whatever she said works because Rachel is kissing her cheek. But the next thing everyone knew was that Finn was wheeling Artie in and Rachel is all over him again.

What the hell?

A few days later, they were now in the auditorium - all dressed in red tops, jeans, and Chucks. 

Lexi found herself in a plain black ball cap, a red Henley shirt and dark blue straight leg jeans. When they were done, Cameal was right beside her dressed in a V-neck long sleeve and skinny jeans.

Both of them were sweating after dancing throughout the entire song.

A big surprise was when Mr. Schue has started clapping, scaring them at the sudden solo audience member. He told them that he would be the director again. The glee club had started walking off the stage when Lexi had seen two eavesdroppers on the balcony again.

Lexi has had a lot on her mind. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was lost in this idea that Rachel - God! What the fuck is she thinking?! She's turning into a narcissistic bastard, she tells ya. Her thoughts have always been wild. Punching walls was not working out that well.

Maybe it was because she's never had an official relationship. The relationship she had with Cameal was purely friendship that mingled with borderline sexual intimacy. But you couldn't blame her, you'd probably feel the same way too. More or less. 

She was desperate. Though, she enjoyed the attention she got from Brittany and Rachel, she feared that they only saw her as a friend. Lexi didn't know any better; she thinks that these touchy gestures were just a part of who they were. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ She needed to stop assuming. She needed to stop this nonsense. Lexi curses at herself, hating that her mind always lived in her imagination rather than reality. But she'd argue with herself on that one. Reality was shit. The ironic thing was that she had just taken part in _Don't Stop Believin'_ , yet there she was feeling like a hopeless git.

"Hey, guys. I think I forgot something backstage. I'll be right back."

Then, she was bounding up the stairs.

"Being nosey, I see." Lexi squinted at them through her glasses once they've turned around to face her.

But the breath in her lungs extinguish when Santana slams her into the wall opposite of the balcony. Lexi blinks, trying to move. She was sure that Santana weighed less than her, yet why the fuck was it so hard to escape her hold. 

"Clearly." Quinn reaches them in a few strides, her hazel eyes cold.

Lexi wouldn't have flinched if it wasn't so dim. "What do you want?"

"What's Finnept doing with the troll?" Santana inches closer, her lavender scent fogging up Lexi's thoughts.

Lexi doesn't answer. 

"What's that _thing_ doing with my boyfriend, Diaz?" Quinn cringes at the word she had spat.

Quinn stares hard at Lexi, expecting her to crumble soon - they always did. But when dead eyes continue staring at her - at them - it irks her. Huh, she expected less from her considering how sweet she was at the park. The thought makes her guilty about what they're currently doing. This wasn't right. A deal was a deal. And she was way passed breaking it. But as the brown eyes continue burning a hole through her soul, she knows that Lexi won't tell a single one.

"And what does it matter to you, Quinn?"

The voice was serious, rasping with dryness. It brought shivers up the blonde's spine that causes her to tense and her stomach to flame up.

"After all, Santana here said it herself. He's inept. What good does he have to someone so much more powerful - you?"

Santana doesn't need to glance at Quinn to know that the statement hit her. So instead, she takes over, bringing her manicured hands under Diaz's shirt. She would sneer at you, telling you that the only reason she did it was to intimidate the taller teen. A dirty tactic. Santana knew Diaz was gay. That was a very significant fact. But what if she were to magically tell you that it wasn't for intimidation purposes. Warm skin meets her hand and a hellish flame dances over Santana's torso. She inhales a sharp breath.

Lexi's eyes widened when a bit of red shined across the brown eyes that stares back at her. Was she seeing things now? Those same eyes widened as splatters of heated tingles sprinkles up their bodies.

And both of them are unable to take the heat anymore. Both distance themselves as best as they could as Quinn watches with confusion. They stumble.

Lexi presses herself into the wall, unable to look anyone in the eye without her ears prickling with heat. Her brain couldn't comprehend what was happening. Or what _had_ happened. No, oh God. This couldn't be happening. _This_ couldn't happen.

Santana couldn't decipher the look that Quinn was giving her and Diaz. It was intense and she couldn't prevent her eyes from following the tongue that had swiped across pink lips.

No word is uttered when Lexi finally has a stable mind. Her legs felt like they were about to give out from under her as she walked down the stairs. Struggling to maintain a regular breathing pattern, she leans against the auditorium's double doors as they close behind her. Her head was hurting. Lexi was feeling more adrenaline than she had when she had been onstage.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ship Name:
> 
> Cameal Lahote x Lexi Diaz = Diahote
> 
> Song:
> 
> Rocketeer by Far East Movement
> 
> Comments would be greatly appreciated.


	5. Surprising Actions

  _ **AKA Showmance**_

 

Cameal is strewn across the floor, the shirt on her back is drenched from the collar to the hem. Dribbles of hot sweat trickled down the side of her face only to meet a clammy hand. Although she was in a tired heap, her glare doesn't falter in bitter reason as Lexi dances a few feet away. Son of a bitch. How the fuck was she still dancing?

Groaning, the older teen rattles the solutions in her brain to sort of put an end to her exhaustion. Finally, she slides herself across the floor with her arms and towards the couch - not caring at all that her arms were mopping up the germs on the ground. But she wasn't worried, Lexi's grandmother was a tidy person; she cleaned the whole house about every two weeks. Such a hard worker that one was.

 

_West side walk it out_

_South side walk it out_

_East side walk it out_

_North side walk it out_

 

When the song comes to an end, the despectacled teen wipes her face with her shirt before she goes to pick up her glasses from the table.

"Jesus. That made you tired?"

The fact is, Cameal never made it to the couch. She gave up, choosing to lay there beside it and settling for the nice cold floor. She stares up at her best friend in annoyance.

"Why, excuse me Miss-I-Dance-In-My-Room! Fucking bitch. Don't you realize by now that I don't spend my time offering my body to fatigue? Hell no."

Lexi quirks an eyebrow at that, wiping the thick layer of sweat on her neck. "Come on, it was just a dance routine. What was that, one more to add to the other three we've already danced?" It really was. It had been a long time since they've choreographed a routine. They both missed it.

"Yeah, I get that we haven't done any of that in a while, but that was brutal. Look at how fucking sweaty I am." Cameal spreads her arms. "I even feel some of it on my ass cheeks."

Lexi chuckles, not at all disturbed by this level of honesty. She was like that too at times. "Be sure to clean that when you take a shower. You want water?" She juts her thumb up the stairs.

Cameal hums. "Sure. I'll follow you up." Rolling over, she proceeds to claw her way across the floor, only managing a few inches in distance. "You know what, I have a strong feeling that I'm going to be slow so go on ahead."

The younger girl snorts softly, patting the other teen on her forehead. "Oh dear. Want help?"

Cameal waves her away. "Go on. This floor is starting feel nice. I might take a well needed nap."

"Have fun with that."

Lexi goes up the staircase and grabs a water bottle from the fridge, proceeding up to her beloved room.

She falls down on the mattress, the sheets cling to exposed skin.

Her mind blanks. She didn't have a clue what to do at the moment. So she checks off all the things in her mind that she has done. Her homework was done. Just a couple of chapters to read in _The Catcher in the_ _Rye_ and a chemistry sheet. She danced for almost an hour with Cameal.

She even cleaned her room earlier. Lexi even found a lot of drawings and photos to put up in her locker - tape is the only thing she needed. She even found her black leather journal. Poems and even more sketches littered the sheets. A few stickers here and there. A lot of the poems revolved around her feelings.

Lexi gets up, stalking towards her walk in closet. She doesn't bother with the light and her hand digs down to the top of the plastic cabinet. Muscle memory, though it had been only a few hours. The journal is wedged between the top of the cabinet and her clothes that hung on white plastic hangers.

She sits in the doorway of the closet, leaning against the frame. Her fingers carefully opening the journal to the first page. Her brown eyes blinked at the title that she had written a year ago.

 

_Blinded Whispers._

 

Shelooks away as if acid had been spewed into her eyes. She gulps despite the dry throat. Chuckling at her own ridiculousness, she cracks her neck side to side. Looking down again, her eyes avoid the words and instead she notices how lead had smudged on the cardboard side of the leather cover. The spine didn't even hold the inner hinge anymore, that's how much the journal was worn down - not by years, but by use.

A hair tickles her cheek and she scratches it away. But the discomfort can't seem to up and leave. The ticklish itch is along her own spine, traveling upward and spreading.

Her tan fingers grasp the back cover that her fingerprints felt like they were denting the outside of the journal. Why was it so hard for her to read a fucking poem? It was her poem for Christ's sake! Yet, she felt her heartbeat, thrumming along her nerves and amplifying her anxiety through the pulsing pads of her digits.

Gulping once again, she could almost taste the mini muffin she had eaten in the back of her throat. She shakes her head, refusing to think about it. She didn't want it to come flying up and into the toilet.

Lexi snaps the journal shut and hides it under her clothes. She needs a shower, that's all; she'll just read her journal later.

She doesn't read it later.

 

* * *

 

 

Tilda sits in the recliner, watching her Filipino horror movies in the dark, only the box TV illuminates the room. Suddenly, she bursts out into a fit of sadistic laughter as the intestines of a woman are ripped out of her stomach.

Cameal joins her in this display of cruel merriment. They look at each other and they explode into another round of giggles.

However, the last resident is brewing at the mind. The only response she gives is when her ear and eye twitch simultaneously. Lexi merely glances at the screen, but her eyes were unfocused - seeing through the ripped flesh.

As laughter quiets down, Graham side eyes her granddaughter and immediate worry calms her down, drowning out small amounts of joyous adrenaline. Her little Wolfie was making that look again. It displeases her. After all this time, Lexi was still...out of it. Not that she could blame her. When she was a young girl, teasing went farther than necessary. She hated those bullies and she still couldn't believe that those bullies haven't grown up a single bit. Tribe her ass. Ignorant bastards they are.

So the day that she got a call from her daughter telling her that Lexi had gotten into a large problem, she sat in her recliner wishing that the burden would just wash away from her granddaughter's shoulders like it never happened. She truly wished she had the power to do so. She wanted to help, but knowing her granddaughter she just wanted to lock herself in her room. No matter, she's going to keep trying.

"Okay guys, I'm going to sleep. Night Grandma Tilda. Night Lex." Cameal tells them after the movie came to an end.

"I'm going to sleep too." Lexi made a move to get up only for Tilda to stop her with her palm.

"Let's talk."

Cameal shrugs at her, not knowing what to do. She continues towards the stairs when Graham glances at her for a second.

Once Cameal disappears, Graham turns to Lexi, carefully choosing her words. "Diba alam mo na pwedemo akong kausapin?" _You_ _know_ _you_ _can_ _talk_ _to_ _me, right?_

Lexi nods, already feeling that this conversation was about to go somewhere that she didn't want to visit.

"And you know that if you're feeling under the weather you can always come to me for comfort?"

The spectacled teen nods again, her eyes shining with heavy recognition as her jaw tightens at the hinges. 

Graham could see it as well. She could read her granddaughter like a picture book and reading between the lines she could see that this was going to take a wrong turn.

"Are you trying to tell me something? Parang po kasi na meron meaning sa iyong tinatanong." _It seems like there's meaning to what you're asking._

There was an audible crack in her voice that screamed to Tilda's wise ears. She should stop. Lexi was smart and she knew exactly what she was up to. But she has a responsibility damn it. Lexi needs her whether she likes it or not.

"I'm trying to say that I could help you get over what happened. Hindi mo kailangan sarihilin ang iyong damdamin." _You_   _don't need to keep your feelings to yourself._

It was the last straw for that night. The teenager needed to get out of there. She understood what Nanay was trying to do. She acknowledges it, but it's an acknowledgment that should have never happened in the first place. This conversation shouldn't have happened. Oxygen was constricting her, wrapping around her lungs instead as panic squeezes her organs and threatens to prick a hole in her chest.

How could Nanay do this to her? Feelings weren't part of their regular day and it shouldn't ever be. What happened in La Push stays in La Push so why the fuck - no. Don't get mad. Calm down. Don't remember. Don't remember it. It never happened, Lexi. It never happened.

_**"Fucking freak!"** _

_**They pushed her around. Tears burned her eyes. Don't cry. Don't cry. This isn't real, okay? Just don't think about it. They're jerks. They're jerks. Please, don't think about it.** _

_**"Nice dick! I know a homo that could use a good pop in the ass!"** _

_**Laughing. Obnoxious.** _

_**"Ew, get the fuck away from me. I don't want you if that's what you're thinking right now you disgusting perv."** _

_**You're so weak, Lexi. Just die. Die. Why can't you just kill yourself?** _

_**Pathetic.** _

_**No one is ever going to love you.** _

_**Not your mutated dick.** _

_**Not you.** _

_**Never.** _

_**"You're disgusting!"** _

_**She cried at home, replaying all those nasty words.** _

_**She punched the walls until there was no more feeling in her knuckles.** _

_**She didn't eat until her family noticed anything.** _

_**She spent the nights awake until it was finally time for school.** _

_**You don't want to see any of it. She was useless. A disgrace. Fucking abomination, that's what she was. She didn't deserve to be alive. Lexi wants to go. Just go.** _

_**"I want to go."** _

_**Cameal's arms are around her, grasping her tight even if she was tense and flinching.** _

_**Her eyes were filled with tears, but it couldn't compare to the swollen red eyes that gazed back at her.** _

_**"G-Go where?"** _

_**"Anywhere without life."** _

_**The older teen had shifted, staring at Lexi would so much anger that everything just started collapsing.** _

_**Great.** _

_**That  was a look of pure detestation.** _

_**"Don't ever say that to me again. Don't ever say it again."** _

_**Lexi smiles weakly. "I wish I could do that." She pauses, gaze losing all its shine. Its everything. "But somehow, I don't think I can say it without meaning it."** _

_**"I'm disgusting."** _

"Thank you, but I've been managing just fine without saying anything about it. About _that_."

"Lexi!"

She doesn't turn around and bounds up to her room without faltering. The door to her bedroom slams shut and it echoes down the hallway and down to the first floor.

Tilda palms her face with guilty hands. Oh, she really did it. It was a wrong turn, a very wrong turn.

Her frown deepens.

There was only one way to solve it.

She lets her feet drag her to the home phone near the window. The older woman crosses her fingers and waits. She was patient - not really, but at times like these she needed all the patience she could get. So when she calls for the fourth time that night she's almost ready to give in and succumb to the night. On the fifth and final time, she finally answers.

_"Hello?"_

"Echo, you need to talk to your sister."

In La Push, Echo - Lexi's younger sister - sits up abruptly in her bed, rubbing the drowsiness out of her eyes.

"I'm listening."

 

* * *

 

 

"Get a room!"

Lexi hears it. And it's definitely a familiar voice. Santana. From the corner of her eye it was Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury that she had said it to.

Nonetheless, Santana's voice is what she wants to avoid along with everyone else. And by everyone else she means the ones that'll get close to her heart and rip it into pieces and burn them until they're only ashes. She was not in a good mood and she had her own grandmother to thank for that. Trying to do good, but it just made everything inevitably worse.

Get better? Please. She didn't want to get better. She wants to fucking bash each and every one of their fucking heads in. Dumbass high schoolers. And yes, she knew that vengeance was a bad thing that'll eventually ruin your life and shit. But you know, she doesn't fucking care. Her life is already ruined. It's not like she was going to do it. She'll think about doing it, but she won't actually do it. 

As for avoiding people, she just wants to be left alone. She swears she's not playing hard to get, that wasn't her style. Plus, what's the point of it, it's not like she's going to get a girlfriend or anything. She's disgusting and a freak and a little bitch, but hey, who the fuck cares? No one, that's who. She's right, wasn't she? She's just a disgusting girl with a dick between her legs. Lovely.

So at the moment and for every other future moments in her life, she doesn't want anymore confrontations like the one in the auditorium with Quinn and Santana. It would have been sexual harassment if it weren't for the fact that a part of her had liked it. She hopes to God that no one will develop a crush on her and again not like that'll ever happen, but just in case. They're just going to run away once they found out she had a penis.

Hey, she's a pessimist and a hopeless one at that. Maybe Holden Caulfield was rubbing off on her despite only being a fictional character. He did talk about depression quite a lot. Reading a story with depression and having experienced what she had along with a lot of other things that she didn't want to delve into was a pretty bad combination.

Lexi checks her watch, she had four more minutes to get to class. What transpired next could have been avoided. It's starting to become a pattern. Could have been. Would have been. A lot of ifs.

She knew herself. She knew herself a lot. Observing is what she does best along with good peripheral vision. She saw Quinn and Santana coming, so she went to the right side of the hall as far as she could because that was the rule of the hallway or at least when you're driving a car. Always on the right.

Yet, contact was still made. And her being her had to go on and catch her.

Red.

Cheerio. 

Quinn Fabray.

Jesus, didn't she promise that she'd avoid her as best as she could?! Then again, Quinn did initiate whatever it was that happened in the balcony of the auditorium. But it was Santana that had done what would be considered harassment. Intimidating hands were what she had utilized. Fuck.

Quinn gazed back at the taller teen, staring back at tired brown eyes through clear lenses. Inhaling, an air of mango is drawn into her nostrils. She smelled nice. That's besides the point when she realizes that the tan left arm is still holding her close and she doesn't have a complaint to warrant. She was warm and burning. Hazel watched with curiosity as cheeks and ears reddened under her scrutiny.

The blonde's eyes briefly flickered down to chapping lips before Lexi distances herself, muttering under her breath. "Sorry." Quinn's lip quirks upward when Lexi licks her lips hurriedly.

The spectacled girl tries so hard not to make eye contact. So she walks. Her exposed forearm still tingled with warmth. She planned on going to the bathroom later and washing it away with cold water. No feelings. It's a bad day to be feeling.

"The hell are you moronic bitches looking at! Want me to shank you because I fucking will!" Santana saw the whole exchange and the people who had stopped to watch also saw it. Gossip whores. Worse than her. She shakes her head and hot exhales are released from her nose. 

She stares down the hall, easily finding Lexi's form rushing down to her next class. Her eyes glow and she blinks it away. Calm. Be calm. Her head snaps down the other hall where her captain stands stationary. As if sensing eyes, Quinn turns to her. _You bet your ass I'm still following you._

"Fabray, we need to have a little chat." 

"Right now? I'm going to be late to class." Quinn replies, refusing to look at anything below Santana's nose. Her lips unconsciously quivered at a thought. An unholy thought.

The tan Cheerio rolls her eyes, deciding that they really do need to fucking talk. She grabs a pale wrist and hauls the bitch over to the bathroom. "And who said I cared if you were late?"

Quinn wrenches her arm out of the tight grasp once they're in the bathroom and watches as Santana checks for feet below the stalls. It's hard for her to breathe for a second and she doesn't want to even think what that could mean. "Get to what you want to say. I have assignments that I need to do."

"Again, what do I care? It's not like you can do anything with that blonde head of yours." Santana knows it was weak, but she wanted the blonde to know who's in charge here.

Just as she suspected, Quinn barely bats an eyelash. "Talk."

"You do it."

"Are you kidding me? _You_ dragged me in here."

"So what? Doesn't mean that I have to bring it up first. You do it."

Eye roll. Quinn crosses her arms, eyes narrowing at the other cheerleader. "If you don't have anything to say I'll be heading off now." She's careful not to brush against Santana, careful not to make any sort of physical contact. Or else, she'll be in trouble. For a hot second, she thought that she was going to get pulled back when she passes. Hope withers into disappointment as she pulls the handle to the door.

"Fabray!"

There it was.

She turns on her heel, wanting to say that she told her so even if it was childish.

"My patience is wearing thin-"

Very warm hands grab her neck and her lips meet equally burning ones. The words in her throat slither back down and is drowned. She grabs at smooth arms, wanting to feel. It's everywhere. Burning sensations. She feels it spreading throughout her body. It was firm, but delicate in a confusing way or her vocabulary was just turned into mush that's why she can't think of anymore appropriate adjectives.

Their foreheads bump together slightly, but they don't mind. They should stop, but they're still there and connected. Even when Santana's hand squeezes its way down Quinn's side and under the cheer uniform. A manicured finger delicately rubs at ivory skin and she feels like she's losing it. Her mind, it's going nuts. It's intense. Fuck, when did it get so hot. Her hand jolts and she pushes Quinn against her, desperate to feel more. But something happens and the hand she has on her captain's lower back emits heat. And it's itchy. But a good kind of itchy. She's not one for math, but there's an addition that she can't explain.

Quinn jolts under her touch like she'd been stung by a whole hand. She detaches herself with a loud _ow_.

What the...

 

* * *

 

 

"Not to be rude Mr. Schue, but _Le_ _Freak_ isn't the right song for this occasion. If we want more people to join this club, then we need a song from our generation. And frankly, this song is definitely far from it." Lexi had enough of this and she's putting a stop to it as nice as she could manage. There's no way in hell that she's going to make a fool out of herself. 

"It's really gay." Kurt concluded beside her and she just had to roll her eyes to which an elbow roughly hit her ribs.

"Hypocrite." She grunted quietly, rubbing the sore spot gently before bumping her hip against his as hard as she could.

He went stumbling a few feet. Mr. Schue gave him an odd look before turning to the others who've jumped on Lexi's boat.

Kurt gave her a dirty look. "Bitch."

"Asshole."

"Jackass."

"Douchebag."

"You're both beautiful, now shut up." Cameal sidles up next to them only to run away to Mercedes' side after she'd slap them on the forehead.

"Cunt." They mumbled together. Their eyes widen when they realized their unison.

"Love you."

"Aw, shucks."

"Diaz, shut the fuck up."

Lexi pouts, crossing her arms in fake sadness. She was feeling a lot better. Mood swings, man. She hated them. But Kurt was impossible not to screw around with. So she went and is a lot happier now. No more grouchy Asian.

Now that she was calmer, she had to say Graham was right. It sure as hell would take a long time before she gets better. It's just that one minute she's alright and then the next something triggers something inside her and it's all mayhem in her mind again.

"This is the song. Now if you have a problem with it, I don't care. It's this or nothing." Mr. Schue frowns as he takes his things, clearly disappointed of this club. He leaves after telling them to practice harder.

"I'd rather do nothing." Tina whispers to Lexi at her other side.

The spectacled teen nods, turning to look at the goth teen, but her eyes catch different eyes. Rachel smiles at her and Lexi manages a tight smile that cause the brunette's brows to furrow. Lexi notices this and quickly gives her attention back to Tina. "The chances of that happening is zero."

The following day as Lexi watches Kurt and Mercedes have a heated debate on designers, Schue greets them in casual attire. He actually owns a regular shirt?

"What are those sheets for?" Cameal asks.

And those sheets happened to be the lyrics to  _Gold_ _Digger_. Sadly, there wasn't a change of heart in Schue's vest wrapped torso. Though, Lexi did learn that he was capable of breakdancing. In the native's mind, she imagines challenging him to a duel at some point. Just to show off a little.

 

* * *

 

 

"Go." Cameal orders her. She wasn't taking Lexi's stubbornness today.

They were currently in a match with two different goals; Cameal's was to knock Lexi's ass into the room and Lexi's was to avoid going into the room altogether. No way did she want to go to Celibacy Club. She respects that people want to wait till marriage, but she can't wait so she doesn't belong in that club. Also the reason that she just doesn't want for her feelings to mean something deeper. She was vulnerable and it was an unpleasant feeling. She didn't feel safe. Why did she promise to go with Rachel again?

 _Whipped_.

The thought nagged her.

_Shut up._

She told herself.

"I don't wanna!"

"You promised Rachel you'd go so you'd better fucking go."

Lexi stops struggling, staring at Cameal. "Fine." She watches Cameal put her arms  down. No more offensive or defensive shit. Good. "Okay, bye."

She zips to the right, fully knowing that Cameal's left arm was weak as shit. No way she could get her on that side. Success! 

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Rachel's eyes widen when yelling and screaming sound off loudly in the hallway. The Cheerios across from her exchange looks of distaste.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

What sounded like a body bounces harshly off the door on the other side and a few Cheerios jump. Rachel's eyes widen even more and she's not certain that she wants to find out what's occurring outside at that moment.

A body crashes heavily against the door again. "Ow, motherfucker!"

Rachel purses her lips, wondering if she should chastise Lexi for her language.

"Go you idiot!" That's Cameal.

"Why don't you go?! You need it more than me!"

It's calm after that. And Rachel is worried and there's some bubbling going on in the center of her chest. What did that even mean?

"Are you implying something?"

Cameal wasn't yelling any longer, but it was quite harder to hear what was being said in the exchange.

Rachel glances at the Unholy Trinity from the corner of her eye who are obviously listening as well.

"...no?" 

A body bangs into the door again and the handle moves, but the door doesn't open.

"Go!"

"No!"

"Go!"

The door swings harshly, bouncing into the wall and thuds off into the wall again when it hits two struggling bodies.

Four jaws tighten without their knowledge at the sight being displayed in front of their narrowed eyes.

"Get the fuck off me!"

Cameal had her legs around Lexi's hips as she held the taller girl's neck with her arm. Lexi was carrying Cameal as you would a baby, her hands held onto strong thighs because even if they were fighting like dumbasses safety is still a must.

All in one step, Lexi stumbles, falling into a seated position on the table closest to them. Cameal lets go of the neck, still straddling her best friend, but she goes in for a smack up the side of her head. Though it seems that she wasn't aware, she was very fucking aware thank you very much. Jealousy was quite a powerful thing. And she knew exactly how to use it. She's a matchmaker, that's what she was. Okay, maybe it was only that one time, but don't tell anyone that. She got this.

"Why do we always end up in this position?"

"Always?" 

The question surprises almost everyone in the room except Quinn and Santana, mostly because the tall blonde had more to offer them in conversation than what the whole school thought - that Brittany was dumber than rocks.

"You must be quite clumsy if this happens a lot."

Lexi blushes under Brittany's gaze. It's the first time she's seen her look so angry at someone, she hopes she never gets that look again. "Cameal, get off me." She whispers under a panicked breath.

Cameal does so without commenting and without dislodging herself from Brittany's stare. She's not scared. Kidding, she fucking was. She still remembers how Brittany mentioned that she wanted to use unicorn horns for torture. Just putting on a brave face.

"I'm gonna head out. Be safe coming home, okay?" Cameal whispers in Lexi's ear, waiting for a nod before she kisses her cheek and waves a goodbye at an all too silent Rachel Berry.

Lexi looks around the room, but avoids looking at any of the Cheerios, except one does manage to catch her attention. Miranda? Oh shit, it's the freshman Cheerio she kissed earlier that day. You ask: "What do you mean earlier that day?" They were both sad okay so they kind of made out. Met in the bathroom, happy now? They sort of nod to each other awkwardly. The exchange doesn't go unnoticed by the unknown blonde at Santana's other side.

"So you're gay." It wasn't a question. More like a snooty sentence, but whatever.

Panic floods the canals in Lexi's chest. She attempts to keep her face as neutral as possible. She shrugs as loosely as she can. "What's it to you?"

"I heard Miranda say that you two were having a steamy make out sesh in the bathroom. How romantic." She adds dryly, telling Lexi as if they were the only ones in the room.

Rachel wanted to shove one of her ballet flats into the girl's mouth. What an ignorant girl. She watched as the Unholy Trinity rolled their eyes.

"Smith, enough." Quinn cuts in, slamming down her gavel Judge Judy-esque. "I've been having a headache all day and truthfully with you talking so much right now, I think having you do some laps around the track could replace my aspirin."

"But-"

"But nothing! You heard her, get the fuck out and get to steppin'. Else imma make you clamber outta here on ritualistic BJ knees!"

Smith snapped her mouth shut as Santana glared at her. She pushed in her seat and gave Lexi and Rachel a heated scowl as she passed by. She quietly shuts the door behind her, though it seemed as if she was about to go ballistic.

"You too, Miranda."

Brittany interjected as Lexi's brows furrowed. This time Quinn and Santana react with surprise, this was the first time Brittany had actually ordered another Cheerio to do anything even if she did it in a sweet way.

Miranda looked up, realizing her name had been said. She doesn't bother to protest and leaves the room as well. Lexi gives her a sad smile as she exits.

"Where were we?" Rachel interrupts as she pinches Lexi's exposed arm under the table.

" _Ow_!"

"Excuse me?" Rachel leant it with an innocent expression on her face. Brittany, Quinn, and Santana watched their exchange carefully.

Bunch of bullshit. 

"You pin-"

"What?"

"I said you pin-"

"What?"

Lexi narrows her eyes at the shorter girl. "Never mind."

Rachel gives her an award winning grin and suddenly Lexi isn't so mad anymore.

 

* * *

 

"I don't understand why you had to even pinch me." Lexi said, thankful that she left her skateboard in her locker. This was good. A different type of transportation today.

Lexi and Rachel walked down the street side by side since their houses were a block close to each other. They literally could just have a sleepover whenever that wanted. That seemed exciting, Lexi never really experienced what a sleepover felt like.

"Wow. Did you really just ask me that?"

The spectacled girl shrugs. "I'm serious. Why did you do that? You didn't even let me finish what I was going to say. Twice!"

Rachel rolls her eyes, still offended. She was upset at the fact that Lexi ignored her. Why? They only started talking again today when glee club came around. She didn't even show up for lunch and Cameal had to come alone to tell her that Lexi was having mood swings today.

She looked down at their hands. They were moving almost together like they were holding hands. "You  don't want to be comforted by me?" She teased, moving her stare up at Lexi with the cutest eyes she could make.

God, why is she so cute? "Oh no. Don't - please don't do that." 

"Answer my question first." Her eyes drift back down to Lexi's hands.

"You drive a rough bargain." The remark was muttered, but by the deadpan on Rachel's face she clearly heard it. "Of course I welcome your comfort. It's just hard to explain."

Rachel smiles. She wondered if her hand was just as evenly warm as when they had been in the auditorium auditioning for glee club. She wondered if they felt even better if they were interlaced and locked in. She was wondering because her hand was kind of cold. It's normal to hold hands as friends just to keep each other warm. "Take all the time you need, we just started walking. So we have about ten blocks."

Lexi let's out a loaded sigh. "Um. I just - I just wanted to be alone. Something was brought up yesterday and I've been in an emotional swing all day until glee club. I didn't really want you to see me so...so vulnerable."

"You're not vulnerable." Rachel assures.

"Yes, I am." The spectacled teen nods to herself, thinking so much. Why is talking so hard? There are so many words she could use and there are only three pathetic ones that don't explain everything. 

"How?"

"How? That girl, Smith. You heard her. I was too afraid to say the truth and tell her off that yes, I am freaking gay."

"But you did. You didn't necessarily say it, but you still implied that even if you were she has no business saying it again."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I say things without even thinking about it. Sometimes I say I have to use the bathroom even when I don't have to. It's like a fill in sentence or a catch phrase when I have no idea what to say."

Rachel finds it amusing how two completely opposite people are finding company each other. Opposites do attract. Her smile falters, a frown replacing it. Biting her lip, she contemplates her next move.

"It's funny how you almost have nothing to say and I have everything to say."

"Opposites."

Their walk continues on silently. It was a type of welcoming silence. Nothing needed to be said. They were there in the moment.

"You know my offer still stands. I still want to sing with you."

"Sing?"

"Yeah, you know? Profess what we're thinking - feeling." And Rachel doesn't think she heard it right or if her ears were playing tricks on her, but the teen beside her intakes a sharp breath. 

"I'll take you up on that offer." Lexi smirks and her eye twitches a second later, clearly hating that the feeling - _it_ was spreading in her chest again. "When I'm in the zone that is. My voice is probably crappy today."

"No, it's not."

"Uh, yes it is. It's all croaky. At least that's what I'm hearing. Oh, shit. I mean shoot." She grins sheepishly at the petite brunette, adjusting the bridge of her glasses. 

"Language."

"I know, I know, but I just thought about glee club. What are we gonna do about the song? We're going to get slaughtered and disco balls are going to be what's thrown at us. Not tomatoes."

"I'll figure something out, but in the meantime my stop is right here." They stop at the stairs and they face each other. Rachel makes haste and goes up a step, no longer looking up but slightly looking down. "Don't you dare make the weather joke up there."

Lexi chortles, staring up at the girl who was now two inches taller. "Don't worry. It's nice that I get to stretch my neck up rather than looking down all the time."

Rachel's mouth drops open, appalled. "Jerk." She punches Lexi's shoulder.

"Violent munchkin aren't you?"

The petite brunette knew that the other teen was joking, but short jokes are alright - sometimes. 

"That's it." Fake pout. "Have a goodnight Lexi." She swivels around, not really expecting anything else. After all Lexi didn't strike her as the type to make any sudden moves or any moves at all. And it sounds hypercritical, but she'll have to wait to make her own move. A move? What move? It's small - a feeling. It's small, but it's there. Alive and pulsing in her chest. But will she make a move? A small one at least?

Warmth ensnares the girth of her wrist, but something else was touching her skin. Solid and metal. Rachel spins on her toes, eyes recognizing one out of two of the silver rings that the other girl wore on her pointer fingers. Crinkles of mystery mirrored back at her as they caught each other's eyes.

"I was joking. I'm sorry."

"I know that. Just testing you."

"Testing me?"

"Hm, testing you indeed. I wanted to see if you're going to do anything else."

The native squints her eyes, sprinkled with mirth. "Doesn't that ruin the fun? Just anticipating what's going to happen next?"

With her free hand Rachel taps a finger against her lips in thought. "I guess, but I like to see if my presumptions are right."

The eyebrow that raises pulls the small generator in her lungs and she gulps. Rachel is in trouble. There was a look. A look that she had never seen on Lexi. She wants to get eaten by the floor beneath her already, but she'll be willing to pull the tan teen with her if it meant more alone time.

"Tell me if it's right then." The voice becomes unexpectedly husky and it's loud despite being only a small whisper. Lexi exhales through her nose, warm air hitting Rachel's cheek. She was so close. Taking the last centimeter eagerly, her nose tickles the tender skin, brushing towards the cheekbones. Stop. Her hand comes up to brush back strands of silky hair behind a delicate ear.

Lexi wanted to enjoy this as long as she could, to feel at ease. She wanted to let herself go and just feel. At first when she had decided what she would do, it seemed sketchy, but the heavy breathing that was flowing against her own ear made her glad that had decided to do it anyway. Her arms tightened around Rachel before her eyes snapped open and she backed away. It was a long hug.

"Well?"

Rachel blinks away her half lidded eyes to see that Lexi was standing in front of her, suddenly not caressing her face. What on earth? "Pardon?"

"Well, was that unexpected enough? The hug I mean?" Lexi's nose scrunches with confusion, chuckling hesitantly at the molten eyes that gaze back at her. She was unsure if what she did was alright. It was only a hug after all. It wasn't like she kissed her on the cheek. She was too much of a pussy to do that. Fuck. Lexi shouldn't be thinking that. Don't feel. Don't feel.

"Oh...um, yeah." Rachel blinks again. Oh my god, did she really just imagine all that? Her thoughts were so intolerable at times that she wonders how much of what she's been through was actually real. And it wasn't fair to Lexi. She was expecting too much and they were probably weren't ready for that level of intimacy yet. Friends. Just friends. _She's gay, but she's not into you Barbra._ Rachel chides herself. All they could ever do was hug and kiss each other on the cheek - the latter mostly on her part and the former had just begun.

Lexi was contemplating, tossing and turning it over in her head. Just this once she could let it go if she wanted to. Their friendship was still in the early stage, they know each other but not to a full extent. She could feel even if it was for a hot second. It didn't have to mean something deeper. She could just do it and it'll be over. She'll be back to refusing. Lexi could just switch it back on and wash the memories away like it never happened. She could trick herself to believe it was a dream. Yeah, she could do that. If she couldn't...then she could force herself if she really wanted to. She really could. This makes her kind of a masochist, doesn't it? It's for the best.

It's the last thing she wanted to do before she quits cold turkey. 

After that, she'll go on to believe that it's only friendship and nothing else.

She laughs again, breath jittering raggedly. It was unstable. God. She's such a masochist. Lexi carefully takes Rachel's head, stilling her. Her fingers were trembling. Leaning in slowly, both are unaware of the oxygen that they swallowed in. Rachel's eyes flickered wildly because this really was unexpected. Was she-

They were close enough to touch. "Goodnight Rachel." Lexi kisses her forehead.

The multiracial girl smiles painfully to herself, brushing their noses and jumps down the stairs, leaving Rachel staring after her in a coma. She walks away without looking, fearing that the shivers in her entire body will make her explode. God, maybe mood swings had good outcomes at times.

But she knew. She knows. It was going to get worse from there on out. She just screwed herself over and she doesn't have enough willpower to wish that she had never done that in the first place. How could she when every logical bone in her body screamed to stop this bullshit of hers? It was going to get worse, but better. It's a confusing ordeal. This refusal of her own doing was tearing her apart. Yet, she is incapable of pulling away. She's drowning in its depths. It's her lifeline.

A lifeline that's connected to other significant lines that she's not even aware of. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Walk It Out by Unk (Check choreography of this song by WildaBeast Adams on YouTube)
> 
> \- Lexi is in Sean Lew's place & Cameal is in Jade Chynoweth's place  
> \- I believe in my imagination that Lexi is blessed with Sean's charisma and freestyle along with Kenneth San Jose's and Gabe De Guzman's skills. She has that swagger when she dances ya know? She's smooth and phew, the girls are going to notice that for sure.


	6. Intense Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the previous chapter because I was too tired to go forth and decided to get some shut eye.  
> *shrug*

**_AKA Showmance Part 2_ **

 

Unlocking the door after sitting on the steps for a long time, she focuses on the noises that may exist. It was silent, but the lights were on and it made the entire house warm with comfort.

The feeling didn't reach the depths inside Lexi; she was in fact dreading going home. She had done a lot of thinking overnight. Tossing and turning. You name it. Graham was just trying to help her like any loving family member would and she admits that she was being a real jerk about it. What was she thinking raising her voice and slamming the door? That was disrespectful and her defensiveness got to the best of her.

It was selfish to think that she's the only person in their family to have dealt with problems like that. For that she feels guilty and anxious.

She shuts the door behind her, making sure that all the locks were secured. Each click sounded like the reloading of a gun.

Disposing her shoes at the rack beside the door, her socked toes bumbled across the wooden floor, smoothing across the croaking boards as they finally find the carpeted stairs.

Looking up from the bottom step, there was only minimal light that cast still shadows of an open door. It scared her a little bit. It was like watching a horror movie and by now she should be used to it considering how much horror this household enjoys.

Lexi gulps deeply, the lump in her throat still existent and the books in her backpack suddenly heavier along the ridges of her stiff shoulders. She cracks her neck from side to side with false confidence and she arrogantly slips upwards, heart rate increasing and her rigid eyes slowly crumbling towards the soft ground.

She rushes passed the open door and breathes a sigh of relief when silence is emitted.

"Lexi?"

Feet stop short in front of her bedroom door and she wishes that she was the type of person to ignorantly disregard the call. These feet plant tightly down onto the ground, her right hand coming up to grip the grey wall. She doesn't dare peek inside the room and instead she digs herself into the small protruded corner.

"Yes, Graham?" Her voice was tight and even croakier than before. 

"Pwede ka ba pumunta dito?" _Can you come here?_ The voice was calm and distracted of sorts. Though, this doesn't stop the teen from taking a nervous breath. 

Stepping right into the light, she stuffs herself deep into the door frame for support. A quick glance tells her that her grandmother is sewing, her uniform most likely. Her eyes find the carpeted floor again.

An amused hum flows into her ears. "Layo mo naman." _You're so far._

Lexi decides she doesn't want to go further into the room, she was stuck and would prefer to be in her own room right about now.

Graham keeps at her work, determined to finish up and get ready for bed.

On the other side of the room, the younger of the two can't seem to get herself to move and walk away.

The spectacled girl rubs her hands together. She fiddles for an extended while. Two rings. A watch. Her hands felt dry.

A great contrast compared to her mom. She would drive, just the two of them and the woman would hand over food from a drive-thru with drenched hands. She'd look over to find hand fitted patches of sweat sticking to the steering wheel. But she was a great driver - sort of. Lexi was so used to someone else taking the wheel so she could just follow along. Now, she had the metaphorical steering wheel and probably in real life too since Graham refuses to drive. No clue with what to do with that control, she glares at the carpeted floor. If only people saw into her mind, they would describe her as a flailing ball of warpath.

Control?

It's a bad idea to give to her.

The only control she'd have was playing video games and living the lives of those who were so brave and courageous. Reading is also on the list of control. She could read at her speed or just reread because at times she brushes across the page so fast that she forgets what just happened at the same exact pace.

Glancing at Graham once more, much longer, she realizes just how peaceful she is. Sitting so relaxed and minding her business. How could she snap at such a compassionate woman? Of her own blood no less. God, she's such an ass.

A hand suddenly touches her face and wipes off the hot mess that she just realizes that she has been crying. 

Her arms wrap tightly around her grandmother, chest loaded heavily that she could only describe it as hysterical and panicky. 

"I'm sorry." Her nose is stuffed and tears trickled into the collar of her shirt. "I shouldn't have y-yelled at you. You're being nice and I can't believe you could have a granddaughter as bad as me." Lexi attempts to cough out the undetachable croak. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you, Graham. A-And I know you were just trying to help and I was being broody and stupid and-"

"Shh. Okay lang." _It's fine._

It felt awkward being that Graham was shorter than her by a few inches as the older woman brushed off the tears that still fell.

The hot air made Lexi's glasses moist that they had to dislodge from the embrace. Lexi sniffed again, struggling against the stuffy left nostril. She wiped the fog out of her glasses with the hem of her shirt.

"Hindi okay." _It's not okay._ "I screwed up and I got prissy with you when you were only trying to help me. I'm sorry."

"No. Akin kasalanan yun." _That's my fault._ "I badgered you knowing that you still haven't come to terms that what happened in the past isn't going to come follow you here."

"What? You call that badgering? It was a few questions. Like small talk. And then that last question set me off. Really, i-it's my fault. I don't have a handle on my feelings. I was feeling down over something so small and I decided that I should let out my steam at the time. At you. Which isn't really fair."

"You're overwhelmed, Wolfie. It's the whole move from state to state."

Lexi shakes her head. "But that shouldn't be an excuse. I moved here to live with you for some reason and it has only been a few days and I'm already unloading the worst of me. You shouldn't have to deal with that. You shouldn't have to deal with me yelling at you in your own house." Her frown dented deep into her lips, chapped and slightly bleeding from all the worried biting.

"Believe me, I've heard worse. I told you it's fine. Tinulak kitang papunta sa direction na yun." _I pushed you in that direction._ "I admit na nawala ang respeto mo sa akin pero I understand." _I admit that you did loose respect for me, but I understand_. "I was the same age as you and I've done worst things to my mom that I regret doing. And yes, that doesn't excuse your behavior but you're here now, apologizing to me and crying."

Lexi wiped at her tears, trying to look at her grandmother clearly. She makes a face. "You're weird. You _want_ to see me cry? I didn't know you were sadistic."

Tilda's eyes were a little teary, but none have fallen so far. "There may be some things that you don't know about me, but I swear I am not sadistic." She lets out a boisterous laugh and she sighs a second later, smiling. "Seeing you cry makes me feel like you are truly genuine about being sorry. But honestly, honey, you are so sensitive. There was no need to cry in the first place."

The now spectacled teen stares down at her with shock. "I'm not sensitive." She argues quickly. "Just moody maybe, but not sensitive.

Graham laughs again, swooping in to embrace her granddaughter. They've never been affectionate as a family, maybe a decent hug here and there, but this was acceptable. A hug is what you need during these situations.

"Lexi, I forgive you. You have to forgive me as well."

"For what?"

"For pushing you -"

"You didn't push me at all. I overreacted."

Graham ignores her. "I pushed you a little too hard even if it was only one question. Different people react differently to different things."

The spectacled teen pulls back, standing under the door frame. "Okay, we're both at fault. Happy?" The older woman nods. "I still think you didn't do anything wrong."

"I did."

"But -"

"Lexi."

"I'll shut up now."

"Come here."

They hug warmly again. The awkwardness all set aside for a happier feeling of relief.

"Are you sure you don't have a pussy because you're very bipolar?"

"Ew, Graham! You just ruined the moment." The moment was definitely gone and Lexi steps back, unsurprised by the vulgarity. 

"Whatever. Go, mag homework ka na habang nagluluto ako." _Go, do homework while I'm cooking._ Graham winks with a playful crinkle that begins at the corner of her small eyes. She smacks Lexi's shoulder, pushing her in the direction of her room. "So sensitive."

"Okay, okay." She rolls her eyes.

Lexi walks to her room after giving her grandmother a tired smile. Just as she opens her door, she decides to walk back and peek into the room.

"Nanay?"

Tilda hums, eyes going wide from squinting at her sewing work.

"I love you, okay?"

The older woman smiles at her. "Mahal rin kita."

_I love you too._

 

* * *

 

 

After school, the whole glee club minus Mr. Schue sat on the bleachers as they wait for Mercedes and Tina to arrive to begin the meeting. The gymnasium was empty and every sound echoed no matter how little.

Cameal sat beside Lexi, noting the younger girl's positive additude. She nudges the sleeves shoulder.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I didn't get a chance to say earlier, but I wish I knew my grandmother before she died."

Lexi blinks at her. "Way to kill the mood, literally."

Cameal hissed through her teeth. "That was too blunt, huh?" A nod. "No, um, I kind of heard some of your conversation with Grandma Tilda."

The spectacled teen sighs, scratching the itch on her knee before turning truthfully to her best friend. "That reminds me, I'm so sorry for snapping at you on your first day of school. I was having -"

"A knee jerk reaction? Yeah, it's the main reason why I asked if you wanted to do it."

Lexi is taken aback. "Really, I'm not a horny boy, Cammie."

"Sure, sure. You say that, but every single time you keep moaning -"

"Dude!" Lexi whispers, eyes widening scandalously.

Cameal snorts. "Relax, I'm just fucking with you. But come on, Lexi, you know I'm here too, right? You don't have to fucking punch your feelings into every single damn wall you see."

Grimacing, she eyes the seriousness of the talk. "How did you find out?"

"Every time Rachel is doing something cute you go ballistic in the eyes." She whipers, widening her eyes with her thumbs and pointer fingers. At the same time cautiously gazing at Rachel and Kurt talking to each other. "And it doesn't take a doctor to know what it means when knuckles are going red and bruised. Don't tell me you're turning into an echidna?"

The Diaz child scoffs whilst rolling her eyes behind her specs. "I'm not certain, but if I am does that make you Sonic?"

"Certainly, if it means you and I get to have a threesome with an Amy."

Groaning, Lexi laughs quietly. "Jesus, we're awful."

"So awful!" Cameal agrees with exaggeration.

When the duo finally arrive, Mercedes takes the lead on inquiring their small leader. 

"Alright, Rachel spill. What are we even doing here?"

"Thank you, Mercedes. I'm so glad you asked." Rachel answers, zealous as normal. "We have gathered here today because of a proposal for our glee club debut."

"Please, tell me it's not going to get us killed." Artie pleaded from the bottom row.

"Totally second that." Finn says, racing to agree.

"Tell us, Divalicious." Cameal toots out, eager to know how they could avoid the masses of slush. "What do you propose?" 

Rachel grins up at them, smile so bright and blinding.

Lexi smiles, eyes on her teeth. There was a small overbite, but it was fitting and one of the things that made Rachel not so perfect. Honestly, Lexi had been checking out other people's teeth the whole day. She had an underbite herself, where the top row of her teeth were literally just behind the bottom row when she clenched her teeth together. It wasn't an obvious problem. After all, she was more of a tight lipped smiler and her jaw didn't jut out. She decides she won't be punching walls today, it was only an observation and maybe insecurity, but whatever.

"By giving them what they want." The sentence hung in the atmosphere.

"Blood?" Kurt deapans behind Lexi, crossing his arms, unimpressed. The suggestion only brought a single idea into his head and he can't begin to think how offering themselves to get slushied willingly will help their cause.

But Rachel only continues to smile like she knows this big secret that will reign holy Christ on all of them. Though, that's probably not the case if what's to come is inappropriate.

"Better."

Cameal leans in closer and Lexi watches the girl beside her with an arched brow.

"Sex."

Her attention withers and Lexi directs her attention at the petite brunette who looks so sure of herself. And she questions it so hard because didn't they go to Celibacy Club yesterday? She's pretty sure that wasn't a scary dream and that she's not going back there ever again. But what fresh hell is going on?

"Sex, Rachel? Why?" Lexi asks, the girl walking beside her and only Rachel. She decided to leave her skateboard in her locker again. Maybe she should just leave it at home if walking home with Rachel was a beginning tradition for them.

Cameal decided to hang out with Mercedes and Tina at the Lima Bean, claiming that she hasn't had coffee from the outside world in a long time like Graham's household was a prison.

"Because it's what they want. We're teenagers and very hormonal ones as well." There's no response so she doesn't delay to continue. "Sex is like a hobby - it's a craving and a lust to watch and learn what they don't already. It's basically like music, it's there to entertain us and it's an opportunity to keep us busy."

"No offense, but you're making it sound like we have to do a porno."

Rachel gasps, flicking Lexi's side as blush rises up her cheeks. "Don't talk about that sexual epidemic, it's degrading."

The taller girl barely flinches at the contact and concentrates on responding. "Aren't you being a hypocrite? You're giving pornography a negative undertone, yet you're the person who suggested we do a performance about sex." 

"A negative undertone? Are you implying you watch this type of media?"

It's Lexi's turn to blush under Rachel's scrutiny.

"Oh my goodness, you have haven't you?" There was teasing delivery in her words and she wasn't content of the reciprocated retort. She wanted to watch her splutter for heaven's sake.

With red hues still intact, Lexi doesn't bother concealing the fact. "I'm a human, Rachel. Plus, I've been curious as to what the fuss was about so I checked it out. It just happens that," she pauses, gaze flickering between Rachel and the sidewalk. "I check it out on some occasions."

The intense honesty was very gobsmacking and Rachel did not see it coming. When Cameal and Lexi came bursting in through the door during Celibacy Club and a declaration in the form of a question rested amongst them all, it left her to the belief that Lexi was not as innocent as she thought her to be. She guesses that the saying was true. It's the shy girls you have to watch for. And with that in mind, she fumbled with it so tenderly, but not quite imagining that Lexi would have the guts to do research. At least she was talking a lot more, but she'd hope it was under appropriate circumstances.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you haven't seen porn at all." 

"I have not and it will stay like that for as long as I live."

Lexi hums. "Hmm. That doesn't extend to death so...does that mean you'll watch it up there in the clouds with teenage Jesus or you'll just come back down to earth and peep over someone's shoulder?"

"Stop it! Don't put ideas into my head, you're defiling it so much already and I've only known you for a few weeks." Rachel shakes her head with a roll of her eyes, the corner of her lip fighting to quirk upward.

"Prude."

"I am not a prude, Lexi Diaz. You take that back right now." The tone was playfully demanding, a result of each witty sentence.

The multiracial girl swivels toward Rachel, narrowing her eyes with dead set determination. "You're pulling my hand, Rachel. Don't make me use height advantage over you because I already have that on my side."

"I am not short. I am of decent size and now you have to take two things back."

"Yeah well, how old are you?"

"I'm fifteen years old."

"Um, birthday then?"

"August twenty-nine."

"Okay, now I have to take three things back because you're a prudy, fun-sized tot."

Rachel scoffs again. "First of all, I am proportional. Secondly, I wasn't put up to date that you knew that there's a second definition to _tot_ other than the greasy, relatively wide, pill-shaped fry." 

"Vegan opinions aside as well as that diss at my brain cells, did you just call a tater tot a fry?" Lexi squawked jokingly. "How dare you!"

"I dare it." Stepping up and staring, ready to throttle. "I dare it exceedingly." She closes in on the personal bubble of the spectacled teen, jutting out her chin with defiance.

Lexi stares back, the slim distance throwing all her confidence away. Gulping, her emotions seethe with nerves. And the warmth around her increased in an uncomfortable way. Her eyes drink in the features that make up this wonderful face before her. Big brown eyes and long eye lashes that would tickle if she blinked. And the nose. Cute, adorable -

"Boop." 

Rachel blinks.

The finger retreats and Lexi is smirking at her albeit being a mix with a grimace.

"Did you just bop my nose?"

"No. I booped it."

"See." Lexi raises a trembling finger again and lightly taps the tip of Rachel's nose. "Boop." Gulp.

The brunette smiles, lips falling open as the warmth from the pad of her finger ships a bundle of heat down to her cheeks.

Blinking, Lexi finally moves, moving her head to the side.

"Come on. Let's get you home before curfew."

Rachel stares at her, stationary in her spot. "How do you know I have a curfew?"

Lexi's brow rises. "I was actually joking, but wow. You have a curfew? Oh dear, you sure are a tot aren't you?"

"Quiet, you." Rachel shakes her head, tone much quieter now as she flicks Lexi's side again. They walk for a short distance before she places her arm in the crook of Lexi's left arm.

 

* * *

 

 

"Ah, why if it isn't Pocahontas and Sacajawea. Our very own long lost incestuous sisters." Sue Sylvester's cold eyes trailed the strange all black uniformity between the two circus goonies. Her Cheerios stood behind her, lined up like militant operatives with resting bitch faces that would make you piss your pants just by a simple glance. It's nothing compared to hers. They were still sloppy and she'd have to tell them that again later during practice, preferably through her favorite megaphone. "Did you two featherheads ditch your little glee club to be promoted to backstage enslavement? I heard you'll be in for mopping up the piteous results of the rumble and tumble loosening of bowels."

"Excuse me, we're not related." Cameal spoke up, not at all shriveling up under the coach's withering stare.

Coach Sylvester's lip sneered up at the seated teenager like she was watching a rerun of _Buggin' with Ruud_ late night as a wooden bowl of milt crushed with almonds sat in her lap like it was just filled with pretzels. That's a good Friday night right there. Honestly, it was a toss up between that and escamoles - only if she was parched for a daring treat.

"I didn't ask you in the first place so there was no need to answer that. I'll call for you when excoriating is needed at the local ecdysiast convention." She sets in on the other one. The confused multiracial kid. "What about you Buckskin Speckles? Want to try out for a comment before Lewis and Clark come a runnin' for your sugar territory?"

Lexi found it difficult to keep up with the likes of the Cheerios coach and wondered how other teenage girls could comprehend her heavily detailed dialogue. She didn't even catch a fourth of it. Instead she shakes her head quickly, not putting faith in her voice at the moment since she was having a nervous breakdown. From the corner of her eye, she could make out the Unholy Trinity, although they were somewhat blurry.

"Hm, smart. You should follow her Trail of Tears more often Wannabe Disney Princess." Sue quips once more before settling down behind them, satisfied with the outcome, eyeing their backs skeptically.

Brittany, Quinn, and Santana follow, stepping through the small space between Lexi and the teacher beside her. The two shortest of the three ignoring the multiracial teen and opting to mind their business.

Lexi gives herself a mental pep talk. She could do this. What the hell is she worried about? She can dance and she can sing - not as good as Rachel, but she could sing...she thinks. Oh, sweet lord. Biting her lip, she wishes that there was a corner that she could bury herself in and never come out of. It sounded like a better idea than performing.

At least she was wearing black, she could run out and be stealthy like a motherfucking ninja. Oh, who was she kidding she can't leave. That's just betrayal. But she should leave because her mouth was salivating and it means that she's about to fucking throw up. Pray. Pray to whoever. Just pray even if you don't remember the words that Mom taught you.

Brittany stares at the side of Lexi's head, her attention doesn't seem to set off any warning lights in the spectacled teen's head and it disappoints her slightly. Looking much more closely, it appears that she was very tense and high strung. So she was nervous. Obviously, she was performing as well, but a separate performance? Is that why she and Cameal were sitting with the audience?

"Yay glee! Glee kids, hooray!" Ms. Pillsbury's voice shoves Lexi back into reality and her nerves just got even more messed up.

"Hi. Uh, when I went to school here, glee club ruled this place. We're on our way back." Muffled laughter is released from behind Cameal and Lexi. "But we need some recruits to join the party. Now, I could tell you all about how great glee is, but uh, I think I'm gonna let some of my friends show you instead." 

The curly-haired man's monologue falls to deaf ears in Lexi's case, the laughter behind her successfully seeping in however. Her heart rate spikes up intensely. Pounding and full of repressed adrenaline.

The red, intimidating curtain opens and six silhouettes reveal themselves and the positions couldn't be anymore sexual. 

Four jaws tighten up.

You've got to be kidding me.

No matter, how many times they've practiced, it doesn't stop the sharp edge that Lexi is feeling whenever it begins at that exact position. A large part of her wanted to jump over Ms. Pillsbury's head and sock Finn in the face. But that's just her being irrational. It's confirmed, a wall will be getting bloody knuckles.

Throughout the _Push It_ sequence, Lexi's jaw flexed, clenching and unclenching for reasons that were clear even to herself as much as she denied to admit it.

But then the music stops and it's replaced and she realizes that - _fuck_ \- it's their turn now. Ear mics equipped, Lexi's voice emits. 

 

_Don't be so quick to walk away_

 

Simultaneously, they jump over the teachers' heads. And some students laugh at the shrieks from the guidance counselor as well as Ms. Berkley.

 

_Dance with me_

_I wanna rock your body_

_Please stay_

 

The song comes to an end the glee club forming a triangle behind her with Lexi as the main point. 

Jacob erupts somewhere into chaotic ovation and Lexi breaks out into a wide grin when the rest of the student body follow, that has got to be the best thing she's felt in a while.

 

* * *

 

 

"See you later." Tina claps Lexi on her shoulder before leaving the girls' locker room after PE, the remaining girl being the native.

"Bye!"

Finally, it was empty. She'd wanted to try taking a shower at school at least once. Opening her locker, she finds her shampoo and conditioner along with her towel in a small backpack.

She makes a grab for them only to hear the patter of shoes against the floor that strikes paranoia into her body. She whips around, trying to finda presence - any presence at all. Although she hopes that she's wrong and it's just her imagination playing games on her again.

Someone was crying.

Oh no. Lexi hurriedly packs her belongings, automatically assuming that it's a ghost because fuck that. She's not about to die today.

A sniffle echoes louder, bouncing off the walls but it doesn't deter the ache that it transcends from.

It must be real.

Lexi pinches her forearm. It doesn't work, her fucking fingernails were too short.

Huh, maybe she was that dumb chick in the movies that tried consoling the killer only to die. What a way to go.

Lexi steps into the showers, shoes and socks abandoned inside her shut locker. Tight lipped and feet cramping along the wet tiled floor, she almost slips when the next sound is a sob - it sounded so broken and heaving.

Left and right she maneuvers, checking each stall, crossing her fingers - hoping that this person whoever it is was clothed to the max. If naked - she'll run away as fast as she could. So far that was the plan.

Her spine was threaded with needles that sliced upward especially centering on her lower back.

_I bet it's Quinn._

A tiny voice in her head says. Her brows scrunch together. Fat fucking chance. No way in hell could it be her. If it was then it's some crazy damn coincidence. A one in a million chance. A pin in a haystack - or whatever it was. Damn near impossible.

The last stall - the very last one - on the left was on, water splattering down inside.

Lexi breathes in, eyes stinging with anxiousness. Fuck it. Do it. She inhales and exhales a multitude of times as air comes out her nose like a hyperactive bull. She presses her back into the stall just next to it, the back of her shirt getting moist in the process. Sliding across the wall, her knuckles whiten.

She whips her head around the corner.

And her eyes widen as she draws back into her hiding spot like a child.

Now, that _can't_ be right.

Again, she ducks around the corner and turtles her way back into her own stall like a fucking weirdo. 

Really?

This isn't the time to play peekaboo.

Bringing her clammy hands up to her face, she wipes at her cheeks roughly. A headache was coming on and choking her capability of making decisions. Shaking her head, she hastily slaps her face and doesn't bother reacting to the sudden sting and instead rushes around the wall that separates them as swiftly as she could. 

There better not be mace waiting for her.

The weight of her body drags her to the wet floor as the water from the shower head drenches her. Even at the sudden drop in temperature, the cool water seeps into her shirt and her ponytail clings against her neck like the skin that snakes eventually outgrow with time.

There was a good inch between them. Unlike Rachel and Brittany, she had a certain respect for personal space not that it wasn't bad, it's just that not everyone enjoyed physical touches even if it was just a brush.

So she stays.

And waits.

She definitely forgot about their deal - you know the one about staying away, yeah that was the last thing on her mind. Now that she thinks about it she was probably joking about it. It would be impossible to avoid each other since they have a class together.

She waits until her eyes close because water had gotten into her eyes. She removes her glasses and puts them outside the stall where she'll be sure to see them. It would suck if she stepped on it.

She reclines back against the wall, her skull landing with a soft thud.

The skirt beside her moves as she presses her thighs closer to her chest. The cheerleader sighs, moving her forehead off her knees and mirrors the tan teen on her right side. She shakes her head, nose clogged and eyes a tired kind of puffy.

"You don't have to be here. I can take care of myself."

Lexis left ear twitches, rubbing the water out of her eyes. Her big toes bend over the ones beside it, cracking the bones. "I know."

"You must think I'm emotionally unstable by now."

A thick piece of long bangs slides onto her forehead, it tickles. She brushes it up over her cranium. Her tongue plays with the sharp canine tooth on the right side of her upper teeth. She thinks for a quick second. "If you're emotionally unstable then I _must_ be an irreversible wreck." She lazily leans her head to the side, holding the gaze of those that held no sign of what she was feeling.

"Is this supposed to be a side effect?"

"What is?"

"When the girls you like don't even like you back."

"Ahhh. I've had a lot of those."

Quinn bites her lip, greatly troubled as her attention is lost on the side of Lexi's face.

"You know, I've seen the way you look at her. It's probably the same expression I have on my face whenever I look at her too."

"Who?"

"Who else do you think I'm talking about?" Her question was more rhetorical and left no room for doubt.

Lexi laughs bitterly, an acidic feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach and it levitates up in her chest, tying all the organs in unison. Was it really that noticeable? But another part catches up and it registers in her mind that Quinn's admitting her feelings for the same girl that Lexi has been thinking about as well.

She doesn't respond so the blonde continues.

"I just saw her with Finn."

All the oxygen escapes from her lungs.

The spectacled teen wasn't sure if they were bonding over their mutilated hearts or if it's just another coincidence. And Quinn - it was weird that she wasn't acting awkward. She sure as hell was. Being in the same room as a person who has the exact same type - the exact same crush. It's _so_ awkward. And taking it into account that it was Quinn, she bets all her money that the blonde would've gotten the girl if it were only the two of them.

"Let me guess, were they making out?"

"Bingo."

The muscles in Lexi's back are all taut even as she stands up and shuts the shower. She sits back down. Well there goes that hope. 

"Is that why you're here?"

"Depressing right? Head cheerleader crying in the school shower after finding quarterback hitting it with glee club's misfit queen. That'll make the school paper for sure." She pauses then adds as an afterthought. "Don't tell JBI."

"What gives you that idea?"

"You're friends with him aren't you? That's social suicide. You're so nice, but you're such an idiot at the same time."

The spectacled teen laughs. "No, Quinn. Just because he's my friend it doesn't mean I'm going to go fucking tell him. Also, I've been told plenty of times that I'm stupid. Are you going to mace me now for being an idiot?"

Quinn takes a long amount of time, staring at Lexi with a questionable gaze. "I haven't decided yet. But so far you're in the green." She smirks. Her eyes search her face much more closely, finding a very small black mole just below the girl's left eye, it touches the small crinkle of her lower eyelid. There's even a smaller one just an inch away from the corner of her lip on her right cheek. 

"That's good to know. Come on, let's go." The multiracial girl rises, picking up her glasses and intending to get a pick me up. 

"What?" 

Lexi rolls her eyes before getting all her courage and grabbing Quinn's hand from her knee, hauling her out.

"This is depressing. And you look like you need some uplifting moments."

 

* * *

 

 

"You take me to here of all places?"

The playground was quiet once again and empty besides themselves. Their clothes weren't dry, but they're nearly there. A few people had looked at them, but figured it was better not to ask.

"Yeah?" Lexi tells her with seriousness in her tone as she sat at a low swing. "Sometimes being a complete child is the answer 'cause kids - they don't have problems. All they worry about is who has the best toy. Me? When I was in first grade, I worried about wanting a thirty-six piece crayon box with a built in sharpener." She shrugs. "Or if it wasn't that it was who went across the monkey bars the fastest."

"Why do people keep doing that?" Quinn suddenly snaps.

"Huh?"

"People including you. You guys keep underestimating children when they are just as capable of doing damage. They're probably capable of a lot more things because adults hold them under certain expectations."

Lexi nods, still not comprehending the initial reason of the second inquiry. There must be history there. Somewhere. "That's true, but where are you going with this?"

"Nowhere. Forget it."

Lexi shuts her mouth as Quinn dumps herself into the swing beside her. The sudden anger keeps her eyes wide before she shakes herself out of her stupor. And then a different kind of realization. "We never really said her name out loud."

"You think it matters? It doesn't. What's the point of even saying her name out loud if she's already made her choice and is sucking tongue with my beard of a boyfriend?!"

Blinking, Lexi rolls her eyes. "And I thought I was pessimistic." She mumbled. "Fine, if you're such a pussy to admit it, I'll do it." She ignores the venomous glare.

"It's Rachel."

She throws her arms, exhausted. "It's Rachel Barbra Berry. And she's the most pure thing this world has to offer...even if she does get a little carried away sometimes." She pauses. "A little is probably an understatement to most people, but she's amazing."

Quinn is silent.

Lexi is silent.

"Jesus, we're hopeless."

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Take his name."

Lexi's eyes zone in on the cross around the blonde's neck. "Oh, sorry." Heat burns all over her face. "You know my whole life, I've been waiting to find the girl. The one that'll love me for who I am even if..." She gulps in dryly. "Some things aren't normal." She shrugs, chuckling. "Rachel - she's so accepting and even if I've only known her for a few weeks, she's the epitome of charming. I guess it's just a really tiny crush. It'll disappear eventually. At least that's what I hope will happen. I'm just waiting for her to do something so diabolical that it'll burn this yearning in my chest."

"I've toyed with the idea of going on dates with her and there's been these moments where I could've kissed her. But I was too chicken shit to do anything." Lexi continues. "I mean I kissed her on the forehead once, but that's not really the same thing."

Quinn turns to her, watching this spectacled girl beside her intently and wondering just how sweet this girl could talk and be honest at the same time.

"I've punched a lot of walls in my time, but this year it's getting close to the high score."

"Wall punching?"

She hums, extending her left fist in the cheerleader's direction. "It works half of the time, but lately nada." A warm hand suddenly grabs hers and a thumb wipes over her sharp knuckles, studying the bruised flesh.

"You should stop that." Quinn leverages herself on the balls of her feet, grabbing her flowered backpack after letting go. "You could damage something in the future."

"What are you? An aspiring doctor?" She throws back the words from their last conversation.

"No. I'm just," her response is delayed as she runs her hazel eyes over the face that looks back at her curiously. Her lip rises as if reminiscing on a moment. "I'm just that girl you found in this playground."

Quinn steps away, but swivels back. Face scrunching into concentration. "I've kissed a girl. A few times." And her eyes daze a few seconds, thinking about Santana. They were still friends of course, but she manages to avoid that situation with indifference. But it wasn't just on her part, Santana danced around her with egg shells included. It didn't really mean anything. She was curious. Santana wanted something warm. But they were still best friends. It was kind of weird, knowing that the shorter girl has made out with Brittany and herself. It makes sense, Brittany and Santana are attractive. She has eyes, newly opened ones.

Lexi's mouth falls open before a wide smile spreads across her lips. "I'll be damned. And here I thought you were still a virgin." Her eyes go wide a second later. "No wait! That came out wrong. Um, of course you're a virgin, you're in Celibacy Club. Oh no, that came out wrong too. I mean with the girl thing. I thought you haven't had that experience before - kissing a girl I mean."

Quinn smirks as Lexi fumbles with her words and watches reddening cheeks. "For the record, I know what you meant." She smiles, grateful for this talk, but she doesn't say it loud. 

Lexi goes silent again, watching Quinn leave without another word.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey, Mr. Schue." Lexi walked in, rubbing the tired clouting her eyes. She really was clueless at times.

Mr. Schue turns to her, still smiling brightly. "Ah, Lexi, what can I do for you?"

"It's about the Spanish class, I was wondering if I still have to take language next year since I already did Spanish II in my freshmen year of high school." Finally, her eyes open and she stupidly realizes that they're not alone.

Blue. Hazel. Brown.

All three stare at her. And she's feeling intimidated and eager to figure out what was going on.

"No, I realized it's stupid to waste your time when you could pursue other things so you'll definitely be doing art or any other activity of your choosing. By the way, I can't contain myself, but it is official."

Lexi blinks, arching a brow as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. It was too early in the morning for this information, she could already tell. There's a telling tale in her mind that she knew the reason why there are three cheerleaders in the choir room at this ungodly hour.

"Can I guess what is official?"

"Go right ahead."

Quinn holds Lexi in her sight, enough to make the spectacled girl uncomfortable despite being so bold in the two memorable times they've met. At her sides, Brittany is grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying this morning like a tall drink of water. And Santana, she could get used to this Asian mouse squeaking under their presence.

Fresh bliss.

"This is for glee club right?"

"Yup, you're almost there Lex."

"We have three new members." The tan teen licks her lips consciously, curses - she should've put chapstick on.

"Yes!" The curly-haired man exclaims. "Well, whaddya think?" 

Lexi is suddenly put under the spotlight as all their eyes fall upon her like she's under a microscope. Her cheeks redden and blush reaches her ears and her whole neck. He can't possibly think that she'll be honest.

"Cool." She shrugs as nonchalantly as she could manage. "Thanks anyways Mr. Schue, I have to get going. I've got some other things that need to get done." She lies.

"Very welcome."

As nervous as she was, she fidgets as she turns towards the trio. She smiles widely, mouth shut. And she had to do it. It's the polite thing to do and she prides herself in it.

"Welcome to glee." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song:
> 
> Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake
> 
> Just to be clear, I intended for Quinn and Lexi to kiss here like on FF.net but thought better of it. If they did that this story wouldn't exactly make this a slow burn type of thing.
> 
> Please comment and tell me if this is a good pace between them and by them I literally mean all of them. 
> 
> Seriously, please comment, I'm bored.


	7. Can You Stand the Heat?

_**AKA Acafellas** _

 

The phone rings, vibrating as well beside a haphazardly placed mattress on the floor. Its rings annunciate throughout the room, much loudly now since all the resident's belongings were getting ready to be flown off to Ohio. The only thing that littered the corners were a couple of bags that held clothes and dirty clothes. Some Pokémon cards stuck out of a small pocket in a pink and yellow backpack.

A milky skinned girl finally stumbles in through the front door, having been out for a breath of fresh air. She hears her phone. Her eyes stretch and she makes a mad rush into the hallway, her singular side pigtail bouncing against her right shoulder with dedication, some sunlight from the window shining against her tied brown locks.

Skidding across the floor, her slippery shoe stubs into the door frame and the teenager has to jump on one foot as she clutches with haste for the other one, grunting in rigid pain.

"Crap fucking shit."

The rings cease, informing a dejected sister that the phone call has ended.

Echo collapses on her bed as she grabs her phone. Flipping it open, she knows that it's Lexi. A voicemail is left behind.

 

_Hey, Kid. Um, I just wanted to say uh, happy birthday. Yaaaay!_

 

Echo smiles at the awkward exclamation.

 

_Christ man. You're old now. And you're like a grandma. I'm sorry that I'm not there to give you a hug or a present, but um, when you get here I'll hug you until you feel as awkward as I do right now._

 

Lexi pauses, an intake of breath could be heard on the other side of the phone.

 

_I love you, Echo. You're probably the only person I'll actually make a birthday call for. Jesus, I hate phone calls, but anyways. You're so determined and much more outgoing than I am. I admire that. You're a fashionista and it's kinda annoying. I hate the mall and I hate when you keep trying to put me in dresses. Not cool, Dude. I also like the fact that you think you can scare me, but we both know that's impossible. Or the fact that you trip over air. Or that time when you thought a cup of sprinkles would be a good snack. Seriously though. You better get your indecisive ass over here as fast as you can. I love you, Kid. Yes, even your stupid oboe. Have fun on this day, okay? Later, Sprinkles. Love you forever._

 

Echo blushes at the nickname. She's so going to get her later. Shaking her head, she closes her eyes imagining ways that she could make her older sister shit herself. 

 

* * *

 

 

Lexi boards her way to school, grimacing slightly at the ache in her calves and upper back. She had exercised first thing in the morning, jogging in place for half an hour like a dumbass and pulling determinedly on the resistance bands that Tatay had left. She was sore and hungry. She hadn't eaten breakfast at all, maybe water and a piece of gum, but that was it. 

She grimaces again after hitting a jumbled piece of concrete as she tries to keep her muscles untensed. It was proving to be a hard job to complete without severe malfunctions.

She was thinking if she should apologize to Rachel today for pussying out of the bathroom on the first day of school. She should - the sooner, the better. Not with those words though. _Language!_ Lexi bites the corner of her bottom lip, asking herself what she should do.

A loud beep beside her knocks her out of her tangled thoughts. And she's tempted to look, but she doesn't because strangers ya know? She wishes Cameal was there right now, but she insisted that she was going to take a while.

The car beeps again and she's irritated now. What the fuck is wrong with this fucker? It's so early in the morning and she's drowsy.

Kurt was driving at her pace in a black SUV, probably a Lincoln. Her eyes widened, struggling to keep her eyes on the sidewalk and her friend.

"How the hell do you have a car already?!" She yells after he cracks open the window.

"Sweet sixteen gift!"

Lexi's brows huddle together, wondering just how many birthdays were there on the same day as Echo. "It's your birthday today?!" She screeched noisily, ignoring the old man that waggled a newspaper at her, threatening to use it as a dodgeball.

"No! My birthday is the twenty-seventh of May! Dad decided to give me my present early!"

"That's nice!" This was ridiculous, she should really stop moving. Or else she'd -

Bump.

 _Very_ big bump.

The next thing Lexi knows is that she's on someone's lawn after landing very weirdly from a crappy imitation of a birdie.

And something hurt.

"Oh my goodness!" Kurt runs to a stop beside her after parking his car. He sits on the balls of his feet in his stylish white pants and all. His usually neat hairdo was covered by a Holden Caulfield-esque fur covered hat. "Are you okay?" His question came out squeaky and the size of his eyes were like saucers. It was a funny thing to be in the presence of and she'd laugh. She'd laugh big time, but she wasn't feeling up for a jolly eruption at the moment.

"Y-Yeah." Her tone was clipped as she pushes herself to sit up, ignoring the sting in her left wrist. "Perfect." The only thing she was grateful for was that she didn't land on her face. Her poor glasses.

"Get up." Kurt gives her his hand, dragging her to the car. "It's that contraption's fault. You really should've stopped before you started a conversation with me."

Lexi grabs her skateboard off the ground angrily, glaring at the taller boy. "Thank you for pointing that out." Her words dribbling with sarcasm.

The SUV is off again and Kurt turns up the radio. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asks, unperturbed by her moody snap.

Her left wrist burns, but she supposes that it'll be gone after a while. "I'm fine." At Kurt's disbelieving seriousness, she doubles a glance. "What?! I am!"

He was still suspicious, but he lets it go, figuring that it was just a tiny fall even if it did appear like she fell off a tree. "Next time you want a ride to school, don't take that death trap with you."

"It's not a death trap if no one has been recorded to die on it. Well," she drags out the word. "Not on my board at least." She shrugged, staring outside the dark window.

"Not unless I bash it over your head first."

Lexi gasps. "I am a ninja. If anyone is going to be doing any bashing in this car it's me. Not you, Kurtis."

"You do that and I'll make you pay for my car if anything gets damaged."

"I'm broke!"

Kurt smiles brightly, plucking sunglasses off the dashboard and flicking it open with a level of sass that Lexi can't contain her snort. "Not my problem." He slides on the overbearingly large sunglasses over his nose.

"What. The. Fuck. Happened. To. You?"

Lexi settles into the seat beside Kurt as she glances between the two. Seconds later a weighted grunt envelopes their small group with accusations ready to spit from her lips in Spanish.

"You told her?"

"Of course I told her. She's your best friend _and_ potential girlfriend."

"We're not dating, Kurtis."

Cameal snickers.

"Shut up, Cameal."

"Woah. Woah." She holds up her hands in defense. "I didn't say anything." Mirth reflected off her eyes as she teasingly bit her lip at Lexi, dragging her eyes over the taller native's torso.

Lexi narrows her eyes behind her glasses. "But something was implied."

Cameal simply snickers again, turning towards their male companion with shiny eyes. "Oh, for sure. I forgot to tell you Kurt, but Lexi has been boning me a lot for the passed few weeks. And I have to tell you that my loins are numb and -"

"Jesus, _shut up_."

The older girl rolls her eyes. "Seriously, the fuck happened to you? I don't walk with you for one day and you're suddenly tripping over yourself like a little bitch."

"Thank him." She juts her chin at the pale teen without missing a beat, attempting to direct the attention away from her and her banged up wrist. "And his new car." 

A whistle. "Ooh la la. A car?"

Kurt hums with pride. "A black 2009 Lincoln Navigator. Lexi was stunned and I swear that drool was leaking out of her mouth."

"Ugh. Both of you are assholes."

"Wouldn't _you_ like to try that out?"

Lexi inhales sharply, nose scrunching up with distaste. The idea of going through the shithole - no, just no. No thank you. Bye bye and good day.

"Ew."

"Okay, I'm equally as disturbed as you now." Kurt faces Lexi, tight lipped.

"Not as equally. Are you kidding me, I have to live with this chick."

Up until now, Kurt was still loopy at how they could live together. That's like something that children would wish for and instead of it being like a sleepover it was a never ending one. He was jealous, he'd never really had a best friend to do those things with. It's funny. Glee club was full of misfits and yet here he was, feeling like an even bigger one. Here are two girls who were gay and were completely comfortable sharing it if not only to their close friends. And there he was on the other side, feeling afraid and bullied into a closet. He needed a friend.

 

* * *

 

 

Cameal sat in the front row of the auditorium, faking her sleep as she watched Lex and Rachel interact with each other. She smirks as both teenagers fumble with the piano, not really knowledgeable at what they were doing to the poor instrument. Maybe she should give Brad a message that someone was screwing with one of his children of musical craft.

Shaking her head, she traces the back of her best friend's head with soft eyes, feeling love and warmth - not that kind of love. Not _in_ love. Just love. It's obvious that she doesn't talk much about it with her joking nature, but at times when she's alone she gets sentimental. Maybe Lexi was rubbing off on her with her care for such small things - small moments even. She was probably storing this moment into one of her brain cells.

She cherishes her best friend so much, she'll do anything to make her happy. And Lexi the same for her. So it's been decided. She should help Lexi get a girlfriend. One of the four. Or maybe an entirely different person. Who knows?

"Aah, ow!"

Her eyes lurch upwards.

Lexi grits her teeth, holding her left arm to her stomach.

Rachel's eyes widen after playfully slapping the tan girl's hand since it was the closest to her. "I'm so sorry, Lexi. What's the matter? Are you injured?"

"What? No? No. I-It's nothing."

"Nothing? Let me have a look. I've read a few books regarding health in my Daddy's book collection." Rachel suggests, remembering her father's human studies commentary every single time when her and her Dad did something at all that would ignite this sudden educational passion that would delve into an hour that resembled a college lesson.

Worry gurgled in the back of Lexi's throat as she almost trips over her shoe getting up, placing both hands behind her back as she glances at Cameal who's now awake. "Honestly, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me." She waves it off with the left hand for show.

"Lexi, I insist. Please let me examine your hand for any strain or damage." Rachel stands up from the bench, swiftly circling it and walking towards the taller of the two.

"Don't worry about me, Rachel. Besides," Lexi searches her mind, desperate to direct this situation at something less urgent. "I-I wanted to say sorry to you."

This successfully haults the little starlet.

"Apologize for what? I don't recall you doing anything detrimental to my well being."

"It's -" The spectacled teen pauses, glancing at Cameal before lowering her voice. "It's been eating my mind for a long time, but ever since the first day of school I've regretted not doing anything...in the bathroom that day."

Rachel blinks, the memory having tumbled to the back of her mind. "Oh, you mean..."

"With Quinn and Santana? Yeah. I'm so sorry for that." She tottered from foot to foot. "I could've done something - anything. But I ran away and that's just so cowardly of me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Her gaze drops to the smooth floor, staring intently at the reflection of the lights above their heads. Her heart thuds and it feels like the food in her stomach is about to fly back out.

Rachel's eyes flit over at Cameal, blinking back to find that there's no one in the seat anymore and a leaving form is going up the stairs and out the auditorium. She smiles to herself, thankful for the older girl's understanding.

She stares at Lexi's lowered face. The guilt seeping across her features so clearly and without a doubt it was real. In all truth, Rachel didn't mind Lexi running out on her when Quinn and Santana had graced her with their appearance. It's not like they did anything to her, it was pretty tame considering that the slushies were where it's at. Nothing really strikes her as emotionally painful, perhaps when she's having a bad day, but like Barbra - keep your head up. So what Lexi is doing now - it's meaningful. She cares and it brings tears to her eyes because this is beautiful and she's speechless. 

Her feet direct her across the stage and she wraps her arms around the solemn body. 

Benevolent.

Cozy.

Warm.

Arms wrap around her back, ones that were stronger even if they were sore and aching - stronger with emotion and undaunted by the beating of her heart.

They hold each other warmly, tingles striding up and down their arms. Dancing up their spines. Tickling their necks. It was like bliss, spinning around them, being silent without it being dreadful.

Content.

Warmth.

"It's okay."

Their arms tighten and for some reason Lexi doesn't want to punch anymore walls.

She wants more hugs.

More of this.

She could do this friendship thing.

 

* * *

 

 

"Lexi, stop slouching please." The director points out before Rachel could open her mouth to protest an entirely different subject.

Lexi sighs, jerking her body so it looks as if she's not about to conk out into a pile of goo. It's not that the choreography was bad - it's...too simple for her taste.

And maybe it's the fact that she was unfocused. Maybe she was more interested in the fact that the three Cheerios were in the choir room with them. It was unheard of and it made her suspicious. Sure, it's her first time at this school, but it's painfully obvious that cheerleaders and football players would rather die than be in glee club. She couldn't help but think there was some motive there. As much as she loves Brittany's company and even Quinn's at a carefully reasoned extent, they were Coach Sylvester's cheerleaders. She basically owned them.

"What is it?" Mr. Schue puts his hands on his hips, frowning at the native's release of breath. The other glee clubbers catch on to the drama, as well as the new recruits. It wasn't common for her to comment, so this has got to be spicy.

The spectacled teen hurriedly shakes her head.

"Tell me, what's going through your head? It's obvious that you want to say something." His voice was teacher-consoling, no judgment can be heard.

Lexi gulps, suddenly shrinking into herself at the attention on her, even Brad was looking at her with rapt attentiveness and he didn't seem like he wanted to be there in the first place. She gulps, tinkering with the rings on her fingers for her own nerving distraction. "I just think we're not pushing ourselves hard enough."

Mr. Schue takes a step forward, pointing a finger to his ear, indicating that he can't hear her.

Lexi's ears brighten as she clears her throat. "I think we're not really trying hard enough."

The man's eyes widen as well as three others.

Quinn and Santana exchange glances before peering at Rachel who also turns to them, confused. Was she eavesdropping on them? 

"Well, you heard her. Put effort into it."

The spectacled girl backtracks, opening and closing her mouth. Because that's not what she meant.

Rachel touches Lexi's shoulder, patting her on the arm. "I believe she's trying to tell you that the choreography is not up to standards."

He narrows his eyes. "Is this true?" He asks the tan girl who blanches.

She splutters. "I'm not saying that it sucks-"

"Oh, it sucks, Window Face. Don't even lie about it." Santana directs at her, crossing her arms with an arch of her brow. A second later she yawns, maybe it was this glee club or even her sprouting tiredness of the Asian chick's farouche overload.

"No, no! I swear that's not what I'm trying to say. We're - we're not -" Lexi is struggling to breathe calmly as her hands flail to make due of the silence. "We're not being the best right now. You saw Vocal Adrenaline. They're amazing and all we're doing is small steps and jazz hands-"

She let's her wild hands fall back against the side of her legs.

"Aah." She grimaces, her explanation coming to a screeching stop.

Kurt rubs his face. Genius. He knew it.

Cameal shakes her head beside him.

And Rachel? 

"Okay, I'm sick of this. Give me your hand right now."

"Nooooo." At this time Lexi's eyes are wide and she drags away from the group towards the back. 

"What's wrong with her hand?" Finn asks as the whole club watches her back away slowly, choreography forgotten.

"Nothing. I'm absolutely in tip top shape. Rachel's just making it seem like it's a big deal." She shrugs carelessly, not noticing Brittany making her way around her. That's what she going to do. Deny. Deny. Deny. Even if it kills her. Yeah. That's good. Deny, just deny.

"Excuse me, I'll explain the situation Finn." He smiles tenderly at the quarterback. "Lexi, as some of you may not know is a skateboarder."

Almost everyone's eyes widen at the girl with the exception of Artie and Cameal. Even Quinn, Santana, and Rachel's eyes widened. Although they did see a skateboard in Lexi's possession in the bathroom they merely thought she was holding it for someone else. Brittany on the other hand - she was impressed as she continued to smile behind the oblivious girl.

Finn grinned. "Oh, cool dude."

Lexi grins back, giving Finn a thumbs up even if she was upset about him and Rachel swapping saliva.

"Uh, no. Not cool." It's Cameal's turn to protest. "That thing is a -"

"Death trap." Kurt interrupts and Cameal smirks at him.

"Thank you, that's exactly what I was going to say." She continues on, pointedly staring at her best friend. "So I'm there in Spanish, sitting down, waiting for her when Kurt comes in telling me that Lex over here fell off."

"You _did_ damage something."

Lexi jolts with a squeak as arms hike around her center from behind.

Rachel advances forward, trapping the spectacled teen between herself and Brittany. She grabs her forearm and gently brushes a finger over Lexi's wrist after she'd rolled up the sleeve. It was bruising and purplish.

"You sprained it."

"So? You guys are acting like this is a big thing. So dramatic." She mutters the last part, imprecating her lack of tolerance to pain.

Santana rolls her eyes, hiding her extreme bewilderment when Brittany hustles the nerd into herself. It's still a shock to her that Brittany would even consider to be friends with a loser. But it's Brittany, she could be friends with a skunk if she wanted. Her chest bubbles and she knows what it is she's feeling.

She takes a glimpse of her captain, easing a brow at the sour face, puzzling over what type of dead animal crawled their way into the crotch of Q's chastity belt. Probably the troll. Googley Rice Eyes was in all likelihood giving her a run for her money seeing that she was surely closer to slithering into RuPaul's virgin juiced adult diapers. Rolling her eyes again, she grinds her teeth together, definitely planning on launching slushies later in the week. Not at Glasses though 'cause Brittany made her promise not to...but what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

"Lets go, we're taking you to the hospital to get a proper diagnosis." Rachel clasps Lexi's uninjured wrist and hauls her towards the exit after smiling over the native's shoulder at Brittany. "I can't believe you came to school with such injury." She mutters. "Mr. Schuester, the discussion of choreography shall remain. Please await my email and if not then a telecopy will be heading your way in a few hours time." Without another word, she steers them out the door.

"I'll drive you guys." Kurt yells. "I'm sorry Mr. Schue, but this is important." He doesn't let the director get in another word before he bolts off, holding his hat tight to his head so that it doesn't fall off.

"Oh, wait. I have to go too, Mr. S." Cameal points at the open doorway as the curly haired man opens his mouth. "I live with her." She adds with a shrug and leaves the man with confusion.

"Damn. I wanted to come with." Mercedes sighed to Artie and Tina who both nod in agreement.

"Hold up! Did I just hear that correctly? Googs and her incest twin live together?" Santana exclaims, holding up a hand, attention switching between the blondes beside her.

"Aw. I want to live with her. She could draw for me everyday. She draws so pretty." Brittany pouts, reaching into her shirt, ignoring the way Artie and Finn daze up at the sight. They look away as soon as Quinn, Santana, and Tina glare at them respectively. The two Cheerios watch as Brittany pulls out a folded square piece of paper and unfolds it. A well detailed falcon is on the sheet of ivory.

"Diaz drew that?" Quinn asks, her hazel eyes drinking in the wings and it's curved beak.

Santana hums. "She just got even more Asian."

 

* * *

 

 

"What was that about?"

Mercedes' shoulders jerk when Lexi sidles up to her. Her gaze dips to the black wrist brace on the native's left hand. "Better question is, how long is that going to take?"

"A month." Lexi shrugs. It was interesting to say the least. She's never damaged anything so serious that she had to get a brace for it. She's never broken _anything_. "I still think the better question is the question that I asked first." She inquires the moment the ebony teenager had with Quinn and Santana, it seemed like they were planning something.

Mercedes pauses, staring at the side of Lexi's face as she puts some books away in her locker. "I can trust you, right?"

Lexi nods, brows conpressing. "Of course." She continues arranging her books. _So the Spanish book goes over there and then the notebook_...Fuck, she dropped a pencil. She bends down to pick it up.

"IhaveacrushonKurt."

The rushed reply has Lexi wide eyed and she lifts her head up hurriedly to make sure Mercedes isn't fucking with her. And then _BAM!_

A few black blotches spit in her eye sight as she clutches the back of her head. "Ah, shit. Son of a bitch. That hurt." She kneads the wounded part of her cranium, glaring at her open locker door. God, her luck is shit this week.

"Are you okay?" Worry is scrawled on Mercedes' face, touching Lexi's arm.

The spectacled girl rubs the sore furiously. She grabs all her shit for the next class and slams the locker shut. She shuts the lock, pulling on it with five rough tugs until her fingers hurt. Fucking locker.

Mercedes stares at her, blinking.

Lexi blinks back. "Right. Sorry, um did you say you have a crush...on _Kurt_?" She was in a state of disbelief, was it really not obvious that Little Kurtis is - is mega, ultra gay! What?! That's crazy.

The shorter teen nods back slowly, eyes filled with apprehension.

The tan girl sees this. "I mean...are you sure?" Nod. "Like are you one hundred percent positive?" Nod again. "Super, super one hundred percent ultra, mega sure that you're into the one and only Kurt Elizabeth Hummel?"

"Elizabeth?"

Blink. "Don't tell him I told you that."

"Yeah, definitely."

"Um, so what are you going to do?" Lexi was conflicted because what the flying fuck. This is an impossible situation, she can't tell her off, like dude?! Do you not see him? But at the same time - go for it! Ohhhhh fuck.

"I don't know. Ask him out?"

Lexi shrugs, her jaw tight. "Maybe. Guys like that sorta thing don't they. Confidence and all?" She laughs nervously. Oh. No.

Later that day, with the exception of Finn and Artie, Cameal and Lexi had hitched a ride with Kurt along with Mercedes, Rachel, and Tina in Kurt's SUV. The Unholy Trinity had followed them to Carmel High's parking lot in Santana's red 2009 Audi A4.

Cameal and Lexi had been looking back every now and then, admiring the beauty of the vehicle. It brought near tears to their eyes. Fucking beautiful.

"Damn, Kurt. This car is fly." Lexi's brows scrunch, wondering if this is how Mercedes is going to flirt with Kurt.

"My Dad got it for my sweet sixteen after I swore not to wear form fitting sweaters that stopped at the knee." Kurt noticed the diverted attention on his red sweater. "What he doesn't know doesn't hurt him." After a moment of awkward silence he locks the car with a beep.

"Are we even sure that they're rehearsing today?" Quinn asks from her place beside Mercedes.

"Vocal Adrenaline rehearses everyday from 2:30 until midnight." Rachel informs her excitedly, practically oozing with admiration.

The four of them - Cameal, Lexi, Rachel, and Tina - watch as Mercedes slips her arm around Kurt's. They all glance at each other.

"Did you see that?" Cameal turns to Tina beside her.

"I definitely saw that." Lexi quips next to Rachel, worrying by the minute as she brushes strands of hair back into her black ball cap. She didn't want this to blow up in Mercedes' face and all three of them seemed to agree with her after Cameal, Rachel, and Tina had a girl's chat with her.

"T-This is p-painful."

"I'm just nervous these Vocal Adrenaline kids are going to laugh at us. They're so cool and popular. And we look like we just stepped off the short bus." Mercedes tells him, loud enough for all of them to hear.

"Those sweaty Nazis have just had more time to practice. We have more heart. And you don't look touched in the head. That outfit looks amazing."

Oh, no.

Lexi notices the way Mercedes turns to look at the cheerleading trio. Wait, Brittany's a part of this? No, that can't be right. Okay, she's had enough. A little talk with Quinn would do her some good.

"So would you ever - ya know? Want to hang out?"

Dear lord, the dreaded question.

A little to the side, her eyes hawk in on the little smirk on the Head Cheerio's lips. What the fuck? Knew it. Quinn's fucking smirking. Conniving, smart, but fucking conniving.

"Come over, it's Slize Minnelli week on AMC."

"Guys," Rachel interjects, rushing into the open space between Quinn and Mercedes. "That's Andrea Cohen." She points directly at two girls, one with a neck brace and one that's vomiting. Doesn't seem like they're doing very well in Vocal Adrenaline. "She won Outstanding Soloist last year in Absolutely Tampastic." Her tone eager.

"You can't leave rehearsals for any reason. That includes heat exhaustion or Crohn's disease." The one with the neck brace tells the one that's vomiting.

Rachel ignores their dilemma and strides forward. "Are you guys Vocal Adrenaline? We'd like to talk to Dakota Stanley about choreographing for our glee club."

"Don't." It was almost like a plead as she shook her head - the vomiting one. "He's a monster."

Lexi circles Kurt and steps beside the brunette. "Rachel, I think we should just go." She puts her good hand on the shorter girl's right shoulder. "From what they're saying, it's warning enough."

"No." She shrugs off Lexi's hand which kind of hurts the taller girl. "Do you want to win or not?"

"I do want to win. Whatever it takes, but I'm not about to kill myself," she presses two fingers into her chest. "Like these two - no offense."

"Nope, no offense at all." Andrea tells them with a weak smile before her eyes widen and she's back to giving the garbage cylinder all her stomach loosening.

"See!" She grimaces. "Look Rachel, how about Cameal and I just do the choreography? We've been dancing for years. And I have a good feeling in my gut that _this_ is a bad idea."

Cameal yips from behind the alleged couple. "Oh hell ya! Please, can we?"

"Please, you guys aren't professionals." Santana flips her ponytail to give Cameal a curled lip of contempt. "I have more dance skills in my little toe than you two have in the entirety of your bodies."

"A duo of smoking bodies honestly." 

"Brittany, this isn't the time for that." Quinn quietly reprimands the taller blonde. 

"Yeah, I thought you're on our side."

Brittany blinks at them both with a smile. "I'm on Brittany's side."

Rachel blinks at the interaction. "Whatever. Lexi, we came all the way here for this purpose. For glee club. I'm not going to turn away just because of some gut feeling of yours. And yes, you and Cameal may be the best dancers -"

"Don't forget about me!"

"You too, Brittany." Rachel smiles at Brittany before turning to Lexi - smile gone. "But we need a professional. And frankly if you're disagreeing so much you should have sided with Finn on this one." Ouch. "It doesn't help that you're injured as well. I'd rather you rest properly than strain yourself further. If you don't like my decision - which I'll respect but I'll be disappointed just as equally - then just wait here outside and mope all you wish." She spins on the heel of her loafers and marches through the double doors.

Lexi's jaw is hanging on the floor.

Tina walks passed her, smiling timidly. "Sorry, Lexi, but I'm with Rachel on this one." 

"Sorry, girl." Mercedes says, dragging Kurt towards the doors who salutes his small hat at her.

Cameal walks behind her, hoping not to get caught as she dips for the door.

"Cammie, you too?"

Cameal freezes, staring her best friend in the eyes. "Not exactly. I'm all for us being choreographers, but Rachel's like our captain. She's our leader and I shall be loyal. If she tells me to jump, I will jump like a complete dumbass." With one last grin she disappears through the doors.

"Better luck next time, Burnt Bamboo." Santana stops intimidatingly close to her, but with the almost three inch height advantage over her she was feeling alright. "Can you believe it?" She asks in an all too nice voice. A voice that doesn't compare to the one she'd use up on the auditorium balcony - the memory still replaying in her mind like a video.

Calculating, dissecting.

"Believe what?"

"She compared you to the Oaf. You're officially debunked to Scissorbill of the Month. Congratulations, Brown Rice. See you inside." Santana winks at her and she swears that there was a spark of red in them.

Suddenly, a blur runs passed Santana, a heavy weight rams into her, arms choking out her neck's circulation. "Brittany." She croaks out. "You're choking me." She side eyes Santana, who rolls her eyes in annoyance before going inside.

She immediately lets go. "Sorry, my bad." Her hands scamper down the spectacled teen's throat and feels the gulp before letting go. "I forgot to ask for consent. There, can I choke you now?" The blue eyed teen watches as deep red floats up towards her face. Adorable. "Kidding. See you in a bit." She pats Lexi's shoulder before running inside and linking her pinky with Santana's.

"In a bit?"

"One more hot shot." The girl with a neck brace points behind Lexi. She kind of forgot there was still someone puking behind her.

She directs her gaze at last person.

Quinn.

They stare at one another, it's been a few days since they've directly spoken.

"You and I need to have a talk." 

"Figured." 

Lexi nods awkwardly in response before turning to Andrea and neck brace girl?

"Thank you for the heads up, but there's really no stopping that one. Nice meeting you guys, um Andrea and-"

"Oh, Shoshandra. Or Sho. Or Shan."

"They get it."

"Oh."

"Well, good luck to your glee club."

"Thanks."

The two teenagers - a cheerleader and a nerd walk through the doors while the latter holds the one open. They were in Carmel's hallway. They locate the auditorium in silence. As Quinn puts her hand on the door, Lexi stops her with a hand on the shoulder.

"Remember that talk?"

Quinn nods slowly, extracting her palm and stands stiffly, bringing her left foot over her right while posing both hands on her left hip.

Lexi raises her brow at the action, her own action a learnt trait from the Head Cheerleader herself. "That can't possibly be comfortable."

"Well, it is comfortable."

Lexi shakes her head, amused at the defensiveness. "What are you and Santana doing?"

Quinn purses her lips, waiting for Lexi's reaction.

Lexi licks her lips, falling into her psychological trap - she was definitely feeling self conscious now with her chapped lips.

"What do you think we're doing?"

The younger teen's eyes widen. "Wow, I actually thought you were going to deny it overall."

"I don't like to be kept waiting. We're on a glee adventure aren't we?" Her hazel eyes flick over to the thin windows in the double doors.

"Of course, um. As I was saying, what are you doing to Mercedes?"

"We're not doing anything. And if you're talking about giving her a confidence boost with Kurt I don't see what's so wrong about it."

Lexi's eyes widen. "What's wrong about it?" She drags an exhausted palm over her jaw. "You're planting this fucking seed into her head when you obviously know that Kurt is - you know."

"I know what?"

She takes a deep breath. "You're making this more complicated than it needs to be." She grumbles to herself dejectedly, scratching the crook of her left elbow.

Quinn hears the quieted words and she smirks, biting her bottom lip. "I live for complications."

Lexi takes one uninterested glance at the lip and rolls her eyes. That was not going to work on her. Was she trying to flirt? "You know Kurt is as fucking circular as we are. That's what I'm trying to say." Quinn's smirk disappears, her gaze darkening dangerously. "Sorry, sorry, I know it's a touchy subject, but you're being difficult to communicate with right now."

"So tell me, what are you trying to get out of this?" Lexi continues, taking a scary step into the blonde's bubble. Quinn's head tilts up slightly to gaze intently into brown eyes. "You know Mercedes is just going to get her hopes up when there was no hope for it at all. And yes, I want her to be happy, but not this type of happy. Hoping for something that won't come true...that hurts." Pause. "You and I both know what that feels like, don't we?"

Quinn settles on a blank stare, Lexi's mango scent intruding her senses. "I agree on that note, but don't you think he could change?"

Lexi grits her teeth noticeably. "Change! Change. Really? No, Quinn. The way all three of us think, no one can change that, unless we're just bicurious, but I'm pretty sure we've admitted that we feel absolutely nothing for the opposite sex."

"First of all, why do you keep doing that? You're trying to keep me from forcing myself to be straight. Second of all, do you have a crush on me? Because you're doing a lot of arguing over it." 

Lexi's eye twitches dramatically and Quinn watches it twitch. "Are you fucking kidding me? I don't have a fucking crush on you. Sure, you're attractive, but I don't have a crush on you. Man, that's so narcissistic." She takes a step back, dragging herself to the much cleaner floor against the wall.

A moment goes and Quinn decides to sit too. Talk about déjà vu. She shakes her head, red dusting the patches of glowing skin. Huh, so she does admit that she's attractive. The left side of her brain - the logical piece - is whispering evilly, making her disappointed at the divulging of outer perspective. The other half of her brain was probably contaminating it; although, that wasn't medically possible. She didn't have dissociative identity disorder - no one else could potentially be hand feeding her these thoughts of chagrin.

Lexi sighs. "I don't want you to be something you're not." She shrugs, cracking her neck - tense. "Even if we are just classmates or however the hell you want to classify us - acquaintances even - I just want the best for you." She stretches out her jean clad legs, clicking the tips of her classic blue Adidas shoes.

"Again, you don't even know me."

"Doesn't matter. You're a good person, but you're just awful showing it off. At least that's what I think."

The hazel eyed teen twitters out a breath. "You're the _only_ one that thinks that. Aside from Brittany mostly."

Lexi beams at the mention. "At least two people have to believe in you."

Silence.

The blonde doesn't know how to take that idea into consideration, speculating to herself - every single conversation was so touchy. It doesn't lay well with her.

"Don't think for one second that I forgot about the primary reason for this talk."

"Darn." Her voice secreting derision without a layer of integrity. "Thought I dodged the bullet."

"Narrowly, I might add." Lexi shrugs. "I may or may not be a victim of short term memory."

Nicely shaped brows curl up. "I'll make sure to remember that. Use it to my advantage at one point or another."

Lexi turns her head, tickled by the tone.

"Cheeky, Fabray. Cheeky."

Quinn searched dark brown eyes that circulated and flickered all over her face. Her pulse quickens, beginning to cross the red line of the meter. The eyes don't falter in boring into her own like a staring contest of informality. It was starting to bring tears to her eyes, but she refuses. They each had an unspoken warrant, an investigation of sorts that stemmed from an eagerness a month and a day ago when they first met. It's reminds her of Diane Sawyer. An investigation may take six months. A quick interview, profile, a day.

However, in their case - ambiguous.

They could take all the time they needed.

"Yeah, Q."

They both jump at the third voice, startled. They give their attention to the head of blonde hair that's peeking out the doorway. "You're not as horrifying as you think you are." Brittany's smile widens, enjoying the scene splayed before her very eyes like someone had given her more than a free sample at an ice cream shop. It was all coming together now - on this half of the equator at least. Rachel and Santana were a shy stretch of infinite from each other. Lord Tubbington had told her from the start that the two were adamantly stubborn, butting heads and all. Ha, butts on heads. Jiggle jiggle jiggle. Oh, sorry. That's too graphic.

Quinn stares at the taller blonde, admitting that her heart may have experienced a small stroke. "B, how long have you been standing there?" The blue eyed dancer continues to smile at them meaningfully which stops hazel for a flash, admiring the refreshing burst of blithe in what was almost to become thick, awkward air.

"Oh, I've been standing here the whole time." She fully opens the door, letting herself out and plumps down beside her fellow Cheerio, grinning at the two occupants on the floor. "You two need hearing aids."

"Thanks Brittany, I'll keep that on my to do list." Lexi grins at the taller blonde, not at all minding the interruption.

"But anyways Quinn, you don't have to be scared. I'm a bicorn. Or a pan."

Lexi chortled. "A frying pan."

Brittany guffawed in agreement. "Exactly! That's what we're trying to tell you. You're so smart, but you're so slow." She waits for Quinn to stop shaking her head.

"You should stop playing with Mercedes."

Quinn pauses, staring at the other blonde. "I'm not -"

"Quinn, I'm blonde. It doesn't automatically mean I'm dumb." She winks, eyes twinkling teasingly.

Brittany smirks at Lexi who watches their exchange with interest. The spectacled teen also guesses that maybe she should give Quinn a break from the whole Quinn and Santana riding on the Kurtcedes Fashion Week Sexuality Hookup Reveal Special (she should probably think of a shorter title for it). After all, Brittany seems to have a good magnet on the situation. And Quinn does look like she's going to give up any second, which at first would appear damn near impossible - unless you have Miss Pierce by your side. You could do anything! Save all homeless animals. Eat cake. Go build a bear at Build-A-Bear Workshop. World peace! ...okay, maybe that's on the Mission Impossible list.

"You know Francis, she loves bacon." Brittany informs her randomly. Then, she gasps loudly, blue eyes bright, ignoring hazel ones that widen. "You could be a piece of bacon if you wanted!"

Quinn backtracks at the slip of fact, blushing under Lexi's gaze of merriment. She delays the breakfast aspect of the conversation. "Francis?" She points out, thinking on her toes.

"Oh, that's Lexi's second first name. It's one of her five names plus the hyphen. I don't know the other ones though." Brittany pouts.

"Five names?" She smiles at the tan girl's embarrassed groan and the jutting lip from the blue eyed teen. Glad to know the feeling was mutual.

Lexi hums, sound croaking. "Snobby, right? That's what I told my mom, but nooooo. She wants my name to be long."

"What's one of your other names besides the three we know already?"

"Oh, give this one to Quinn, since I already have Francis."

"What? No. My names are not for sale."

"Just tell us." Quinn nudges her shoulder into the taller girl's shirt covered one.

"Yeah, tell us." Brittany nudges along with her, this movement turning into a whole wave.

Lexi shakes her head at their antics.

Oh, children. 

"Xavier."

Quinn hums in approval. "Nice. Sounds like you were named after the saint." Her eyes crinkled.

"I get that a lot of from you Christians." She winks at Quinn who rolls her eyes, hand going up to rest on the pendant - habit.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Xavier. I'm Brittany." She takes Lexi's right hand, crossing an arm over Quinn's chest. "Hi, Quinn. I already know you." She turns her head to smile at Quinn.

"I already know you too, B."

"Hi, Brittany. I'm Xavier." Lexi turns to Quinn, offering a hand.

The shorter blonde eyes the hand with doubt; nonetheless, she takes the hand into her own - warm and calloused.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Xavier." She takes a pause.

She leans in close, smirking mischievously, the grip on her hand tightening comfortably over her own.

Quinn squints at the lips widening in her sight, wanting to knock that stupid grin off her face. Perhaps, not to leave a bruise, but more of a reminder that she's still the Quinn from school.

"You _must_ be Bacon."

Quinn groans as the two teens burst into uncapped laughter, landing a high five on each other's palms over her head.

Now she _really_ wants to knock that grin off. She imagines her gavel from Celibacy Club, a plastic version of it instead. But hearing two sets of embodied liveliness, she deposits her usual cold exterior in for joy instead.

She normally hoarded this personality cache for the nicer third of her trimunative bunch. Brittany didn't judge her. She could act however she wanted to be. That's what she loved dearly about her fellow Cheerio; she'll love you much more than what you deserve. They'd go out to search for birds with Santana (complaining to her so poor Brittany doesn't hear) and name each one they saw. She's the very definition of pure and innocence.

It went the same to the transfer student on her right. Nerdy, tall little awkward thing. Excuse her oxymoron. There's a dirty mouth on her person, but it's nothing she's not familiar with - Santana's very vulgar. Socially incapable, that's for certain, but endearing nonetheless. Simple jokes. She doesn't forget to add protective on her list of adjectives, remembering the way she'd put herself in shooting range for...Berry.

That was another story, but for now, she still had to deal with the dimming bulb that is her boyfriend.

Anyways.

Both of them were understanding and overflowing with compassion. They were wonderful. Similar, but still showcasing their unique differences like a badge. Kind hearts. Beautiful smiles. Good ears - nothing escapes them (it's obvious). Both of them deserved the absolute best. Whatever it was that she was beginning to feel, that's forming like glue, it's a nice addition to her life.

The blonde couldn't conclude a better reason than the present for her to finally relax and just exist - being herself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment. 
> 
> PLEASE.


	8. Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Reveals note at the end. 
> 
> Tada!

_**AKA Acafellas Part 2**_

 

Tilda knocks on a plain white door early in the morning, awaiting a reply to come in. Though, it never arrives. She knocks again much louder, assuming that the girl was probably tired to the extent that her ears were as closed off as her dreaming mind. Still no answer. So she opens the door and is surprised to see the bed already made through the sunlight shining on it - the room empty with presence.

Her eyes that haven't aged narrow slightly, trying to search her mind. Muted footsteps on the wooden floor carry themselves to another threshold - another young woman's room. Her knuckles rapped this time against a white poster covered door of a pink dog that had unproportional limbs and resembled a fat whiskered mole rat. Underneath the plump animal it said: Courage the Cowardly Dog. Tilda shakes her head, muddled at the fact that the girl beyond this door could adore something that had nonexistent knees, yet be weak-kneed to boot. Appearances were very beguiling.

The door opens revealing a tall girl, but currently not the tallest in a blue skirt and a plain white shirt.

"Cameal, do you know where Lexi is?"

"Um, she told me she was going to head out for a while."

Tilda raises a brow and checks her watch, the face of it on the inner part of her wrist instead. "It's only 7:00."

Cameal shrugs, at a loss for words. "I have no idea." Her clouded memory of daze thinks back to the pale face at her door earlier. "She looked like she needed the walk though, that's for certain."

"What do you mean?"

"Welp, she was pale. Like _really_ pale. Maybe she just wanted fresh air. Anyways Grandma Tilda, don't worry. It's not like she'd run away." Cameal smiled brightly at the older woman, patting her on the shoulder before walking passed her, intending to get a bite in the kitchen. "She'll come back! She loves your food too much!" She yells over her shoulder.

Tilda smiles, crossing her arms and walks back to her room. "She'd better, our guests are coming today." She mumbled, worrying over Lexi's sprained wrist. She shouldn't even be out. It's possible that her maternal instinct was kicking in, but even it was only a _wrist_ sprain and not her legs that got hurt she should be at home taking it easy. Oh, that stubborn grandchild of hers. So much for keeping a tight command over her ship.

 

* * *

 

Rubber soles gripped against rough bark as a person whispered in absentminded tradition. "Tabi-tabi po." She has been a firm believer ever since she'd climbed a tree back then and red spots had unfathomably littered the pads of her feet and some parts of her hands. To this day she could still feel a chill. Literally, it was scary. She was wearing shoes _and_ socks that weird day so there was no reason for her to have gained any unusual markings. Her hands weren't protected so it made sense, but her well-covered feet?

Haha...creepy.

Maybe it was a duwende or a kapre even? She shivers, crossing her fingers together, hoping that red spots don't appear again. Research it, she promises that it will probably save your life. And no, it's not athlete's foot or that hand, mouth...or foot - whatever the fuck the order is - disease. Nothing itched. She didn't get a fever, nothing like that. She was perfectly fine.

The brush of brisk wind flew up her sleeves as she sat on the lowest limb - that was how far she was willing to go, the height didn't bother her that much, but it was manageable. It would've seemed that her left hand would limit her, but she was up there...after hugging for all dear life with the crook of her left arm like a crippled monkey. Her face felt hot, all oxygen collected in her chest after hauling her ass up the tree - forgetting to breathe for a sec.

The after buzz of her early morning still reigned in her clenched brain. It was a weekend and she was finally able to get over herself albeit trudging her way to her walk-in and swiping the small black notebook from beneath her hung clothes as if it was going to snap at her if she didn't get it over with quickly. It really did seem like it. She was going crazy and hallucinating at certain times. Like that one time when she threw out the trash and walking back she saw a reflection of it in the window - as if it was fucking coming back to haunt her! 

Her eyes had studied the title again. And the plain cardboard side where pencil markings rubbed on it from the written page. Her body - tense and unmoving except for her ringless index fingers that rubbed on the leathery cover, willing away that itchy, dirty crawling feeling in her unkempt nerves. Like dozens of millipedes, stout and disgustingly robust with their four hundred oddly linear legs. It moves much slower than a centipede, trudging up your arms with no care in the world - not minding that nausea and repugnance are directed at their long squishable bodies. It just gave her indescribable itches thinking about it. Her head had suddenly felt prickly - crawly. Like pounds of lice stacked over another, squirming over their brothers and sisters.

She had hurled the small book at the wall, roughly thudding against it that she was astonished it didn't leave an expensive dent.

Her short fingernails dragged along her forearm, the other hand unfortunately not being able to take part in the mauling of flesh. Thin lines of white disappeared only to be replaced with harsh, reddened skin that bulged similarly to a pulsing vein.

Hot drips stung her eyes, wiping at them only noticing after a whole ticking minute.

Staggering, her right hand plucks the book with whitening knuckles, opening it gently even after the whole dramatic bipolarish incident.

 

_Blinded Whispers_

_Can you hear me?_

_Of course you can't._

_I try to be as invisible as I can._

_It's better that way._

_For me it's a simple thing to say._

_On the outside I may look timid and shy._

_But on the inside, I am screaming._

_Wanting so selfishly for you to_

_understand._

_That I am more than just what I appear._

_I am not weak as I am perceived to be,_

_nor am I forgiving._

 

_You look at me as if I can't hear._

_Hear the things you spit remorselessly_

_behind my back._

_You don't know what I am thinking._

_I'm thinking about your idiotic words that_

_will provoke me to attack._

_Without repentance, without deep_

_compunction._

_The smiles that cross my mouth seem_

_genuine, except they are not._

_They are tense and careful._

_Not trying at all to break free._

_They are secretly disgusted and lusting_

_for lacerations._

_Though, attempting to desperately_

_protect the_ _image I have built, even_

 _taller than that of a_ _dead decaying tree._

_A whole different person that you_

_precisely have to track._

_Good luck on that matter since that will_

_never happen._

_You will rarely see me for who I really_

_am._

 

_I assure you, however, that my thoughts_

_aren't the happiest._

_If only you can read the mind that has_

_been mangled and shredded to tiny_

_pieces at a time._

_Then, you will wish that you hadn't_

_spoken from your doubtful lips._

_Then, you will wish that you could unsee_

_this terror that has lived within me for_

_eternity._

_That I_ _have no regret at what you have_

_seen for yourself and wish mighty that_

_you experience just the same._

_From me, you shall not receive pity._

_Only utmost satisfaction._

 

In all honesty, the words were cracked in fragments and hazardous splints, all melding into a disastrous scene that plays with constant frenzied agitation. But it all ends with silence, corners coated with thick mixtures of bloody glops. Pretty much throughout, she'd contradicted herself like a broken record, wanting to be left alone to revealing all the shards of pain to being a murderous straight jacket patient - without all the clean white of course. 

Broken, stepped on shell. A crab of sorts. Lexi scrunched her nose. Not the sexual disease infested crabs. She was weird. She should be crying and bawling all her emotional syndromes, but she doesn't quite feel it. Her tears are for her family, for loved ones, for her belongings, for nightmares - she can't find anymore for herself.

She's lost.

Turmoil. A storm. A hurricane. 

She remembers coming home and hiding in her closet and sitting in the dark, for once hoping that her monsters would all come and kill her. Erase her from existence because she wasn't happy and was pointless. Sometimes, she thinks if her existence was a mistake, if Echo should have been first, but no - she came out first by flub. She was her parents' blooper.

She remembers going to school only for the hallway to be lined with bullies like a cafeteria - a buffet of insults only to be thrown and not served.

Hermie. She Male. Dicky. Hermaphrodite. Rug flicker. Asian Spic. Flip (Funny or Fucking Little Island People). Sea Mexican. Powwow. Windtalker. Tonto (from Lone Ranger to Spanish). Kitty Puncher. Apple. Chorizo. Americanized sausage. Corndog. Feathery Twitch.

There was this one time, she actually got hit in the head with a baseball bat...she got a concussion. Purposeful landing that one was. Maybe that's why she was a little twitchy in the eyes here and there. Samuel Miller didn't even go to jail for it. He thought he'd go play one last prank since he heard the news that their punching bag was transferring schools on the last day of freshmen year. He doesn't even play baseball. He was more of the heinous basketball rough houser.

A hand brushes over the left side of her head that's covered by a black baseball cap. The irony. She loves baseball and baseball hats, she doesn't like getting hit by a bat though.

A ring thrives in her pocket, making her blink. The juncture between her calves and thighs squeeze dependently on the thick branch as her right hand grasps the phone.

"Hey, Mariska." She says cheerfully like she hadn't been reminiscing on rough times.

"Lexi, I swear I will -"

"Sprinkle shit on me? Yeah, I kinda got that."

Echo scoffs on the other line. "How are you my sister again?"

"I don't want to go into details on bedroom activities -"

"Ew. Stop. You're scarring us both without even realizing it." Echo grimaces, placing a hand on her face in exasperation. Her sister's antics is god awful. Anyways, the situation at current glove. "Thanks for the voicemail."

"You're welcome, glad you enjoyed my voice croaks."

" _Whatever_ , Lady." The younger Diaz rolled her eyes. "So how are you doing?"

"If you mean right now, I feel as if I'm about to fall off a tree."

"And just pray tell why you think sitting on a tree is good for your wrist? A wrist that you broke on my birthday by the way."

"There's a good difference between breaking and spraining."

"Eh. It rhymes so I don't care. You break it, you sprained it, just answer the question."

"To think."

Lexi hears Echo hum in fascination and she rolls her eyes. " _Ohhhhh_ , so you're in one of _those_ moods. Did you draw something in that small notebook of yours to get rid of all your negative energy? Come on, tell me! Is it one of your old classmates getting hung like a pig?"

She thinks of Quinn's love for bacon for a moment and then the dreaded book. "No, nothing graphic. What about you? How are you doing now that you're an old lady?"

"Same old, same old. Dragging my wrinkly tits to the supermarket - they get caught in the door every single time."

Lexi groans, stifling a chuckle. "Gross!"

"Hey man, you asked! I answered! Not my fault you can't take exaggerated information."

"You're a jackass."

"You're a bitch."

"You're short."

"You're slow."

"I run faster than you."

"I meant mentally slow - when it comes to relationships I mean."

The spectacled sibling protests. "My love life is not slow, I'm just -"

"Still laying it hot in your best friend? Or just being a pussy? Dude, you haven't had a single relationship except getting fresh between Cameal's thighs."

"Why? Are you jelly?" Lexi grimaces, not really enjoying Echo dismantling her best friend's image.

"Nah, I kinda like being a virgin. All my juices are still intact and youthful."

"Ugh, why are we talking about this? Can we switch to a much appropriate conversation?"

Echo snorts, believing that she just doesn't want to admit that she's stalling her love life. "Sure. So, Gran Gran called me..."

"...fuck..."

"You bet that's the reaction I was waiting for!"

"What is it this time?"

"Look Lexi," she pauses, considering her words carefully. "When I asked you how you're doing, I was talking about the whole thing at your new school. Like are they treating ya alright?"

Lexi breathes in heavily. "Yes, it's okay. No one at school knows about the dick in my pants. It's...okay."

"Heard that three second pause. What's it mean?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. Echo, I'll just call you back when I have time, I have to get home."

"Okay." Echo narrows her eyes, sensing something wrong immediately.

"Bye."

"Bye."

 

* * *

 

 

When Lexi walks up the porch, Cameal is on one of the chairs, unusually reading a book.

The shorter girl looks up at her with a questionable twinkle in her eye that doesn't escape Lexi.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Oh, you _know_." The exaggerated tone makes her eyes squint tightly. "Just catching up on some reading. I've been here for an hour." She lifts up a book and from her standing point it's obvious that she's barely read a page of it.

"Is that why you've only read a page? Aw, Cam! I know you don't read, but that's just disappointing."

Cameal's face brightens a hue of red. "Shut up you absurd bitch of an absurd fucking stature!"

Lexi clicks her tongue. "Nice." A smirk paints across her lips. "I see you've managed to learn a new word. However, _cockamamie_ is the word that comes to mind when I hear that you've decided to pick up a book." Triumph, haha.

"What the fuck does that word mean?"

"Figure it out, Bookworm." She grins cheekily before opening the door to the house, not needing to key it.

She walks in and is greeted by multiple voices that resound from the kitchen, it makes her butt shrivel up with anxiety. Okay? So she'll just jet up the stairs and make it seem like she's not there. Okay! Let's go!

A set of hands clamp down on her arms and steers her in the terrifying direction of the kitchen. She turns around, trying to get around Cameal. Bitch. 

"Move." She whispers harshly through her teeth.

Cameal takes one look at her and smirks.

She's fucked.

"Lexi's here!"

"You're a registered cunt now, I hope you're happy." Her own tone playful as she struggles to shut down a laugh at Cameal's face and instead she grins stupidly at her companion.

Cameal looks at her gobsmacked, jaw unhinged as Lexi makes an unfortunate way to the kitchen.

She hides herself in the corner as her head sneaks around in plain view. The sight that greets her slides her a small touch of awkward. It was the Muñoz family with her uncle (she doesn't really talk to him), her beloved aunt, and the fraternal twins (the bean poles). Her body sinks into herself and she slouches. But with the twins grinning wildly at her she feels a tad better, her nerves soothing down.

"Lex-Lex!" Veronica - the eldest twin but shorter by an inch - yells, voice booming through the room. Without waiting for a response she dives, almost tripping over her stool trying to get to her cousin. Her soft arms circle around Lexi's shoulders.

"Group hug!" The other half of the twin - the taller one - jumps onto Lexi's back. Mandy's whole package of one and a half inches taller than the spectacled teen's five foot seven and a half don't take much of a toll on the shorter one.

" _This is torture_." Lexi squeaked out when Cameal rams into them, squeezing their bunch tighter. When they all let go, Veronica makes a scene of patting her head that brings a flashback - back when she was four inches shorter than Lexi. "Stop that." She swats at the thin wrist. "I'm not a dog."

"Sure you're not." The younger girl rolls her eyes at her cousin.

"Vera, shut up." Mandy says, swinging an arm over Lexi's shoulder, pulling her into her side.

"You shut up." Veronica rebukes, dragging Cameal into her side roughly, almost comically. "I got the better sophomore."

"I beg to differ!"

Oh boy. 

Lexi turns to Cameal who gives her the same pleading wide eyed look. They slip out of the twins' arms and take their spot in the vacant stools.

"Wow, why is everyone moving all of a sudden?" Cameal quips, staring at the parents of the still bickering children.

Lexi nods, only comfortable making eye contact with her aunt. Her uncle wasn't bad, it's just that she doesn't really know him. And it's weird considering that she has come over to play with the twins when they were younger for at least a million times, but that's just how she is.

Nadine and Kade share a look with Nanay - it doesn't go unnoticed.

Cameal and Lexi share their own glance, a much subtle one 'cause they were teenagers. They were pros at secret looks.

"It's um." Tita Nadine starts off, glancing at her husband every now and then.

"Complicated." Kade supplied, sitting up in his chair, scratching his beard.

"Yes! It's nothing you should worry your little heads about. Honestly. Go on up to your room. I'm sure you two would like the bags of chips I've brought."

Lexi's eyes widened with merriment. "You bought Cheetos?! The spicy one?" Her ass hanging midair already, ready to bolt up to her room. She hasn't had Cheetos in a long time and yes, she knows that you could buy some at the convenience store, but she's saving money and Graham wasn't really a fan of crunchy things. She claims that it's too hard for her false teeth.

Nadine winks.

"Thanks Tita!" She jumps out the stool, pushing it in before running passed the twin girls who blink back at the blur that shoots by.

"What else did you get?" Cameal stares at the entryway before looking back at the couple, the calmer one of the two.

"Oh, you know, clothes. But if you don't want them -"

The girl shoots out of her seat.

"Are we missing something?"

The twins look at the three adults who laugh at their cute expressions.

 

* * *

 

 

Lexi walks through the empty halls, going to the bathroom after asking Ms. Berkley - tripping over her words admittedly. She prays that there's no one in the bathroom so she could finally stand and pee instead of squatting and accidentally touching the glorified toilet seat.

She pushes open the door and praying seems to have worked. About to go into a stall, the door opens behind her.

"Plymouth Turkey! I'm so glad I got to run into you."

Lexi's eyes widen and she heads for the door only for the cheerleader to block it with her body. "What do you want, Santana?" She whispers, feeling a little terrified. She sticks her brace almost to protect herself, but it really was futile in her standards.

Santana chuckles, crossing her arms over her chest as she looks the taller girl up and down. "What's your deal with resident bitch queen? You wants to get into her crunchy skirt or something? Talk about stalkerish." She pulls a scowl, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't like her like that." The spectacled teen replies quickly. "And I'm not a stalker."

"Oh ho, but you didn't deny it did you?"

Lexi's brows scrunch, suddenly teetering uncomfortably. Was she playing with her right now? "I just did."

"You didn't deny being a fruitcake at first."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"What it _means_ you Asian stray," Santana pushes off the door and into Lexi's space as she backs up. "Is that I'm not aboutta let you cripple your sad ass into Britt's and Q's ranks like a twitchy little tonto!" Her index finger coming out to poke sharply into Lexi's chest, pushing her further back. "You're a loser and I won't tolerate some nerdy, chafed maw lezbo to infect this school with her homo elite squad." Her hand finds a shoulder and pushes roughly, Lexi's back thudding into the wall with a loud _ow_ as a heated sting dents through her shirt and into the patch of skin that stretched from her collarbone to the back of her right shoulder.

What the fuck? Did she just get burned?

Lexi blinks in rapid pace, still having a hard time processing what's happening. "Is this because of the first day of school? Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not the type of person who looks for a good time -"

"Are you fucking stupid?" Santana blushes slightly, but thankfully it's not noticeable due to her dark complexion. "Listen here _puta_ \- you back off the blondes, 'specially Brittany. Else imma be finding you a muddy hole to bury your colorful grave in! Comprende?" Jesus fucking Christ! This chick is slow as hell. Maybe she really was stupid for an Asian.

Lexi's eyes widen, staring at Santana whose gaze unwavers. She wasn't afraid, the voice was eerily calm, but it did muster a lot of adrenaline to pump up her heart rate. She was used to better insults, but this was just sad. It sounded rehearsed too. Red coloring sparks in Santana's eyes and she stops thinking for a moment.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" She inquires, so deeply distracted that she forgets the threat.

Santana stops, stepping back a little in disbelief. "You deaf too? I'm asking you a fucking-"

"No, I'm serious why do your eyes keep doing that?"

"Keep doing what?" Santana snaps, getting frustrated by the minute that her plan of action wasn't going so well. That's it! Slushies it is.

"I keep seeing red." Lexi answers honestly, but hesitant. Oh no. She'll probably tell her she's a crackhead cooch lover now too, huh?

Santana stops short, the breath in her lungs ripped away through the rows of her ribs. It felt like someone was reaching up her ass and yanking all the intestines with meaty claws.

"Are you okay?" Lexi steps forward, hands reaching out, genuinely concerned for the cheerleader. She sure as hell was weird. She's getting bullied and she's actually worried for the bully herself. That concussion must've hit her hard.

Santana steps back. "Don't fucking touch me! Just stop!" She says, the red in her eyes revealing themselves again.

Ruby red.

"There it is again!" Lexi's right hand flapping excitedly.

She's not on any meds right now...maybe that was a bad thing...

"Shut the hell up!"

Lexi snaps her mouth shut, right hand falling back to her side.

"Don't tell anyone about this! You hear me dickhead?!"

"Yeah?"

Santana shakes her head, scowling, but her expression held something else.

Fright.

She takes one more heated glare at Lexi and strides out the bathroom, all her air of courageous vain diminished. As soon as her feet step out the bathroom, haunted sobs escape her heavily and white trainers run down the barren corridor.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment and make sure to drop that kudos!
> 
>  
> 
> Face Claim:
> 
> Echo Diaz (height changes later) - Amber Midthunder 5'5 1/4
> 
> Mandy Muñoz - Jessica Matten 5'9
> 
> Veronica Muñoz - Elizabeth Frances 5'8
> 
> Nadine Muñoz - Isabel Granada
> 
> Kade Muñoz - Benjamin Bratt
> 
> Just as another side note, ignore the face claims if you want with the exception of:
> 
> 1) Cameal  
> 2) Graham  
> 3) Echo
> 
> Still considering the other ones.
> 
>  
> 
> (Chapter Reveals)
> 
> You know Santana and Lexi made out in this chapter on FF.net?
> 
> And Echo and Lexi originally had a communication problem?
> 
> (Previous Chapter Reveals)
> 
> Lexi didn't sprain anything at all originally or skateboard to school and Kurt drives by...*shrug*
> 
> No Brittany, Lexi, or Quinn moment...


	9. Oh Sweet Lord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait dudes *hides in the corner* Sorry (whispers into the dark)

_**AKA Acafellas Part 3** _

 

It was just any other regular day at McKinley High. If you’d even want to call it a regular high school experience. But in a particular person’s case, her life was pretty sweet, a tad bitter maybe, but still sweet nonetheless.

Her eyes squint into slits, glaring at the two freshmen boys who she noticed have seemed to call it upon themselves to salivate at the sight of her legs. She snorts when they quickly avert their eyes. The sound turns into a smirk when one of them hits his forehead into his open locker door in the process of his retreat. 

She focuses once more on their traditional formation, steeling her face with its known bitchtude as she surveys the parted hallway and the student body that stares back at them. It made her feel powerful despite being the second in command. Not to sound envious (call her envious and your eyes would get gouged out) but glancing at her captain’s head she can’t help imagine what it would be like to be the metaphorical queen of the McKinley hierarchy.

But that cloud of bliss dissolves into a state of goo when her own eyes unconsciously dip down towards Quinn’s toned thighs. Ironic. Another thought slips past her mental walls: the bathroom situation. Her lips tingle at the memory of her impulsiveness and the pressure of her lips against the blonde’s. How fun that was. Though, the aftermath - the sting that seared milky skin - was very tense.

“San? Are you feeling okay?” 

Huh?

Her eyes snap up to meet Brittany’s concerned ones. She fights the worsening rise of heat in her cheeks, thinking of a quick response.

”Good.”

_That was too short you tonta._

“I’m fine Britt. Don’t worry, I’m just thinking too much today.”

Brittany’s eyes soften a little, but she doesn’t push any further. “If you say so.” Instead she links pinkies with Santana as they continue their show of superiority.

The tan cheerleader sighs with internal relief. She looks in front of her again only to falter, pinky tightening slightly.

Her eyes lock with another set of brown that hid behind a pair of glasses. 

The multiracial teen leans back against her locker moving her ear closer to Cameal when she goes to whisper something all the while keeping their eyes connected.

Santana feels the sweat of nervousness build on the back of her neck as those eyes bring back a different memory. The moment her eyes had shined a bright color that she feared, but wore to assert her ranking.

Her hands tingle as the Unholy Trinity strolls on closer to them. The feeling simply too unexplainable.

Closer.

Warmer.

”Do you have a cold or something?” The tall blonde beside her whispers. “Your pinky is kind of hot.”

Much warmer.

Much closer.

The buzzing in her hands quicken almost as if icy heat was overlapping her skin.

Very much closer.

Red hot.

A foot away in front.

A foot away beside her.

The tingling disappears, but a motion occurs. An action which would be considered a coincidence, but a rare one at that. Two actually.

Quinn’s back straightens almost exceedingly, arching like there’s something uncomfortable that hit her. While she couldn’t see her face, the sharp exhale of breath told Santana that her jaw would have tightened along with her brows if not for the audience.

To her right, Lexi winces breaking their eye contact as her right shoulder jolts like she’d been electrocuted. Her good hand comes up to rub her shoulder, finding Santana’s eyes again. It was as if time has slowed down and the cheerleader watched with rapt attention as her expression tensed, eyes widening.

As much as she didn’t know the girl, it was obvious from their previous interactions that it happened again.

” _Your eyes_ ,” was mouthed.

The weight of an imaginary boulder drops into the pits of her stomach. Santana blinks rapidly, eyes hardening when she feels a coat of wetness in them. Her teeth clench as her head turns back to the length of the hallway.

The pinky tightening against her own goes unnoticed.

 

* * *

 

 

Scrub, scrub, scrub. Rub a dub dub.

_Stop, look and listen baby_

_That’s my philosophy_

”Yes it is now!” Cameal sings in a high pitch voice in response to Lexi’s choice of song. 

Lexi rolls her eyes with a smile, opting to hum it. She supposes it’s her fault anyways considering the amount of times she’s been playing the song over and over again. Could you really blame her? _Rubberneckin’_ has a great head bop to it.

A splash of water gets onto her sleeve making Lexi sigh, dropping her sponge on the hood of the Jeep. With a little difficulty she manages to roll up the wet sleeve of her t shirt, exposing her bicep.

”Lexi! Stop flexing and start scrubbing!” 

The spectacled girl swivels around to face Cameal from the other side of the Ford. “Who the hell said I was flexing? Nobody’s flexing. I’m sweaty and this wet shirt is bothering me.”

”Take it off then.”

”Then she’d really be flexing.” Tina’s quip came as she bumped her hip against Lexi’s before running off to Cameal’s side.

”You two are a bunch of pervs.”

Cameal laughs. “You’d love for us to perv on you.”

The reply has her eyes rolling again. With a grunt she picks up her sponge and places her brace behind her back as a last resort to not get it drenched. 

“Lexi, didn’t I tell you to rest.” Rachel appears on the other side of the Jeep in her rain coat and with her own sponge in hand. 

Eyes widen. “Um yes...but I may have forgotten?”

”With the assistance of selective amnesia you mean?” 

“Oh dear, did you just snark at me? What has the world come to? The great Rachel has succumbed to the dark evils of the world.”

Rachel’s scrubbing settles to a halt as she puts her hands on her hips. “Hush before I call your grandmother and tell her you’re being a stubborn brat.”

”You’re bluffing.”

The shorter girl shoots her an amused look before stepping closer to the Jeep and stares her dead in the eyes. She pauses before a smirk overcomes her lips, “Shall I call for Cameal then?”

Lexi goes silent as she weighs her options in her head. The options aren’t really helpful. “Fine, I’ll shut up.” 

Rachel grins at her.

”When the Cheerios get here.”

The expression of victory falls. “That will take ages.”

”Don’t worry, I’ll be here to entertain you for the time being milady.” Lexi bows her head only for her glasses to slip downward. The taller girl stands up, assessing her situation while going cross eyed as Rachel laughs at her. “Milady can you please help me out here. I don’t want to dirty my glasses.”

The petite singer shakes her head before circling the vehicle and stepping in front of the spectacled girl. Her finger pushes the bridge of Lexi’s glasses upward. 

“Thanks, Tiny Tot.” The taller teen says with a chuckle before booping Rachel on the nose and runs off.

”Lexi Diaz!” Rachel yells, stomping her foot on the ground. “I warned you not to call me that!” She runs after her, her yellow rain coat fluttering in the soft wind.

Behind them Cameal and Tina shake their heads. “Those two are like a married couple.”

”Nah, they’re like in the honeymoon phase, but with playful arguing.” 

Tina sighs. “I kind of wish Artie was like that.” She quietly says to herself.

At that, Cameal pauses, her rag as well. “What do you mean?”

Tina looks at her with a deer in headlights look. “You heard that?” 

“Yup. C’mon, speak your heart out to Cam-Cam.” She puffs out her chest patting the left side where her heart lay. “I’ll listen with gusto.” She continues working on the vehicle after the driver gives her a bad look. “While we work though. Ms. Ford is giving us the stink eye.”

Tina immediately starts scrubbing when the lady turns to her with a glare that could rival Quinn Fabray’s. “I mean he’s nice and all, but he says these things that kind of bother me.”

”Like what?”

”I shouldn’t bother him when he’s playing video games or that I should pay more attention to him. And I do pay more attention to him but then he’s off playing video games. It’s annoying.” Tina wipes her rag on the hood, visibly gritting her teeth. “I’m trying to make time, but when I do he doesn’t have time and when I don’t he has time. And don’t even get me started on his misogynistic crap.” She speeds up, putting all her strength into wiping away what she doesn’t realize is a scratch.

Cameal grimaces, eyes bulging. She sneaks a peek at said boy who was hanging out with Finn. “You want the truth?” Nod. “I think - from my perspective...before you said that - is that he’s a nice boy, but it sounds like you want to beat the living shit out of him. And after what you said I kind of want to do the same thing. But I can’t. Cause that would be manslaughter or something.”

”So what should I do?” Tina asks, breathing heavily, her own eyes bugging out in a scary way.

”Is it a healthy relationship? On both sides?”

The goth blinks, the sweeps of her rag slowing. “I haven’t told him that I fake my stutter.”

Cameal falters, wishing she hadn’t butted in. _Damn, was couples therapy really this difficult._ “What do you think I’m thinking right now?” Sounds like an awful relationship.

“That it’s not a healthy relationship.”

”Why?” Cameal can’t help but think that self reflection is actually helping her. Helping, but not really helping. Being a guide maybe. Like a honeyguide bird to a badger.

”I lie to him and he’s kind of a control freak.”

Cameal bites her tongue in contemplation. “Sure, let’s go with that.” 

“Can you break up with him for me?” Tina has her hands clasped together as if she was praying.

”You’re a crayon.”

”What’s that supposed to mean?”

”It means you cray cray.”

Tina let’s out a groan. 

“Hey dude, I’m just a temporary therapist. I’m not a part time heartbreaker. I’m - oh my _god_.” It was as if Cameal’s jaw had become unhinged in a matter of seconds at the sight of whatever it was over Tina’s shoulder. 

“Oh my god what?” Tina asks, very confused. She turns her head and drops her rag in shock, ignoring Ms. Ford lady’s honking. “Oh my _god_. Sweet lord, what did we do to deserve this?”

Rachel walks up to her, dragging an incredulous Lexi behind her by the collar of her shirt. She had caught the older girl in the bathroom of the school who had a attempted to change into a new shirt. “What on earth are you referring to?” She watches as Tina points a shaking finger in the direction that caused her bewildered silence. Her eyes find patches of skin that should be covered up, but she can’t find herself to voice out her concerns as the Cheerios walk out - strut out would be the better adjective - of the school and into the parking lot. And by major specification, her eyes are drawn to the smooth skin that seem to be sculpted by the spectacular Michelangelo himself. What divine creatures they are.

”Oh my god!” Lexi screeches. “They need to cover up!” Lexi squawks behind the speechless girl, not noticing the dazed fog that has pervaded the atmosphere. She spots Brittany and Quinn walking out of the building together. “Hold on, I’ll be back.” She attempts to walk away but Rachel still has a strong hold on her causing her to almost ricochet back to her original spot. “Rachel?” Her good hand carefully pulls off the fingers on her collar and she sprints away before Rachel realizes that she’s gone.

She runs around the parked cars and catches up to the duo holding her hoodie and shirt. “Guys, what are you wearing?” Brittany and Quinn spin around to face her and simultaneously look down at what they’re wearing. “Woah. You two got tall.” She takes a small step back to stare at their heels. Shaking her head she resumes her mission. “This is too revealing. Here take my hoodie.” Lexi quickly unties the piece of clothing around her waist and puts it in Brittany’s hands. “And Quinn, take my shirt. It’s clean.” 

“What? Lexi?”

”Don’t you know there’s perverts in the area?” Lexi shakes her head at them until she catches a glimpse of Cameal, Rachel, and Tina. “See they’re perving on you two already.”

”Francis?”

”Hm?”

”You’re sweet, but shouldn’t you be perving on us too?”

”Excuse me?” Lexi backtracks as well as Quinn as she stares at the blue eyed girl in confusion.

”I mean I can’t speak for Quinn but I was hoping you’d drool over what I’m wearing. I see it’s not working.”

Lexi blinks and it isn’t until she truly realizes what she means that she begins blushing all over and both Cheerios watch as she begins to fidget under their gaze. “I mean, what? You’re beautiful and attractive. Both of you are. Um...I’m gonna go now.” She stumbles a little as she moves away from them. “Have a good day!” She tells them before running off in a bundle of nerves. _Oh sweet lord._

 

* * *

 

 

“You three are great. You’re perfect. Seriously, don’t change a thing.” 

She doesn’t know how she ended up beside Santana, but she did. Lexi rolls her shoulder back, the numb feeling from a few days ago came back. From the corner of her eye she can see that Santana has stuck to side eying.

But that’s beside the point at hand. It’s interesting how he can make a quick judgement from looking at someone, but then again so is everyone else. From Tina to Artie to Mercedes to Kurt. There are just people that are considerate about not sharing those flaws with the exception of Quinn and Santana. And Sue Sylvester. She was the best at it.

So when he takes one look at Lexi her eye begins to twitch from anger or from the way his lip curls into a disgusting smirk.

”What’s the matter kid, got something stuck in your eye?”

Lexi chooses not to respond, her fingernails dig into her palm from behind her back as she clenches her jaw at him.

”What are you mute?” 

She doesn’t respond again.

”Whatever. Mum or not, I can’t have your powwows in the background or your squirrelly habits either.” He chuckles to himself like he was having a pleasant conversation with her. “If I ever mentor a kid like you, me and you are going to have a problem. Just being honest. And another thing. Do us all a favor and put some chapstick on those lips. They’re becoming brittle.”

Lexi breathes in a sharp breath as she licks her lips harshly, her knuckles cracking behind her which makes Stanley glance at her for a hot moment.

”You wanna punch me don’t you?”

The spectacled teen responds with another set of cracks that are like gunshots in the silent choir room.

”It’s you and I. Not me and you.”

Dakota cackles as steps closer to her. “A grammar Nazi! I haven’t encountered one of your kind since high school.”

”You survived high school with that trashy attitude?”

The short choreographer splutters getting red in the face as he begins cursing at her. “You think you’re hot shit don’t you, you chappy mawed punk?” Lexi takes a step forward only to feel a hand pull her back by the back of her shirt. She looks at the arm and finds that it belongs to Santana instead of Cameal.

”Don’t.” Is all she says and she stares up at Lexi’s hard eyes. She finds herself shocked when the taller girl sighs, complying with a retreating step back.

”Hey, leave her alone already!” Finn decides to step in and for once Lexi has respect for the guy.

”I’m sorry, can you repeat that? I can’t hear you from all the way down here. While you do that can you put some lotion on those knuckles you’ve been dragging on the ground? Oh, wait, wait! Here’s a small suggestion, why don’t you ask the spazzing psycho here to assist you?” He growls, nodding towards Lexi who continues to glare at him.

”What’s wrong with you?” The quarterback asks, rhetorically speaking.

“What’s wrong with me?” The asshole repeats. “What’s wrong with me is that you’re freakishly tall! I feel like a woodland creature!” He pauses, scanning each and everyone of their faces.

“Am I hurting your feelings? Did I say something wrong? Because I thought you wanted somebody who respected you enough to tell you the truth. But maybe you don’t have the confidence to hear it. Hm? Maybe you need somebody who’s going to lie to you and tell you things like ‘you got what it takes!’ But you know what, as far as I can see, you don’t. So, why don’t you just take a little second - a little breather - and ask yourself: Do you want to be a winner or not?”

”Screw this, I quit.” 

Finn proceeds to the door as Artie, Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina follow him with their own voice of dissatisfaction.

”Great! Great! You know, separate the wheat from the chaff! That’s perfect!” 

“Come on, Lex.” Cameal’s hand grabs onto her friend’s wrist before pulling her away.

”Wait!” Rachel pauses, grabbing onto Lexi’s elbow, pleading with her eyes before letting go. “Barbra Streisand. When Barbra was a young ingénue everyone told her in order to be a star she’d have to get a nose job. _Thankfully_ , she refused.” 

”Where’s this going, Yentl?”

”Where it’s going is that...we don’t need you. Let’s face it. We’re never going to be as good of dancers as Vocal Adrenaline - except for these two.” Rachel gestures towards Cameal and Lexi. “But nonetheless, we're going to win because we’re different and that’s what makes us special.”

”They told J-Lo her booty was too big.” Mercedes states.

Artie adds, “Curtis Mayfield was more successful after he became paralyzed.”

”Jim Abbott.” Finn steps in. 

“I have no idea who that is.” Kurt gives him a puzzled look while garnering a few nods of agreement.

”He was a one-armed pitcher for the Yankees. Pitched a no-hitter.” Finn continues, smiling at Rachel. At the look Quinn catches Lexi’s eye over Santana’s shoulder. The moment isn’t overlooked by the second in command.

”Okay, so, yeah. Misfits and spaz-heads and cripples can make it too. That’s great. What’s your point?” Stanley stares at her still not seeing the mini lesson.

”Our point,” Rachel steps closer to him. “Is that you’re fired. And I’m taller than you.”

Dakota huffs. “Barely.”

”Give or take an inch.” Lexi adds dryly getting an unamused pout from the girl that’s finally taller than someone.

”Dude!” Cameal shoves Lexi, consequentially pushing her into Santana which earns her a scathing look. Lexi draws back away from her with wide eyes. “She’s trying to have her diva moment and you ruined it!”

”My bad. Sorry.” She puts her hands up.

Stanley snorts muttering something under his breath. 

“The hell did you just say?” Cameal squares her shoulders. “Shouldn’t you be packing instead of yapping?”

”You’ll see that I’m right. You’ll regret this. You’ll all see.” 

“You sound like a poorly written criminal that got caught in the movies. If you can be so kind as to respect yourself and get out.” Rachel tells him, but he remains stationary. The starlet sighs, glancing at Lexi.

The spectacled dancer takes this as a cue and with deliberated slow steps she uses her five inch tactic of intimidation to tower over him. Lowering her voice, her tone comes out raspy and in turn, some may say...even deathly. “She wasn’t asking.”

The angry warmth permeates from the taller girl and it is brutally obvious that she was capable of extracting something else other than wheat from his chaff.

”Now was she?” Her face suddenly jolts closer to his and he scrambles to get his things that a few of his music sheets fly to the floor. He rushes to the door, not bothering to pick them up and takes a final look back, straight at the person he had called mute to begin with.

”Bye now.” The rasp in her voice much clearer now. And with that he makes a dash for the exit.

When the door shuts with a click, Lexi jumps with a hoot. “That was so cool! I just scared an adult man shitless.”

Santana rolls her eyes as she shares a defeated look with Quinn. “More like an overgrown toddler.”

Lexi eyes her for a moment with squinted eyes before she smiles. “Yeah, like an overgrown toddler.”

The shortest cheerleader blinks before glaring at her in a not so scary way. “Let’s get out of here, the show of your verbal beat downs got cancelled because of your so called heebie-jeebie ploy.” She stalks out of the room, not totally thrilled at the idea of updating Sylvester that there was no form of termination of the glee club.

Quinn wordlessly follows her after glancing at Lexi and Rachel for a moment. 

“What was that about?” The petite brunette inquires.

Lexi licks her lips. “No idea -“

A weight hits her and Rachel at the same time and it takes Lexi a second to realize that Brittany had somehow snuck up on them with her arms fused around both their necks. “I’m so proud of you guys!” The two shorter girls exchange wide eyes over the blonde’s shoulders. “You two were so badass. Keep it up!” She squeezes them with her arms before skipping out after the two-thirds of her trio.

 

* * *

 

 

”So who’s your idol of weirdness?” Rachel asks Lexi as she grabs her things from her locker.

“Does the person have to be weird?” Lexi pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

”Not really, but it would be a bonus if she was.”

Lexi hums, thinking deeply. “Elissa Steamer.” At Rachel’s blank look she explains further. “Paved the way for female skateboarders. She was the first woman to attain her pro status in the skateboarding industry.”

Rachel hums back, lightly pinching Lexi’s side. “That Dakota character would have called you a feminazi.” 

Lexi snorts. “Me? Heavens no. I believe in equality, not a gender overriding another gender just so the same parallel could happen in the future.”

Rachel sighs beside her, leaning the side of her head onto a locker door. “Are you alright?”

”Of course I’m alright.”

”No, I mean...when Dakota said those things. I’d imagine that he’d tell me to get a nose job if it weren’t for his spat with you.”

Lexi purses her lips as her hands still on her binder. She closes her eyes before turning around and sliding her back against the lockers until she’s sitting down. When Rachel doesn’t follow her example she pats the tiled floor next to her. “Sit down. Relax. It’s share and tell time.”

”I don’t have anything interesting to share.” She says, but sits down anyways.

”You don’t have to, but I do.” She fold her legs atop the other in front of her, her fingers toying with the brace on her left wrist. “My past - as you probably noticed - is a secretive one. Stanley’s words bothered me, but compared to the other things I’ve heard it’s really mellow. Tears here and there maybe. A lot of tears actually.”

”There was this guy that toyed with me a lot. Samuel Miller. He taunted me. Pranked me. Insulted me. Anything you’d imagine a bully would do. Except, there was this one time during the end of the year of my freshmen days that an incident occurred. It’s one of those moments that are possible but you just can’t imagine it happening. It’s one of the reasons why I probably moved here.” 

“And it seems like I should be crying when I’m telling this story, for even bringing it up for the first time since it happened, but I’m just stuck. Not sad. Emotionless perhaps.”

”Lexi, what happened?” 

The spectacled girl blinks out of her dazed stare and turns her head, resting it on the locker below hers. Her upper right lip lifts. “He hit me.” She watches as dark brows furrow together and a pair of lips falling open. “With a bat.” 

“No...” Brown eyes bore into hers.

Lexi smiles and takes Rachel’s right hand with her own and slides it onto the left side of her skull. “Here.”

”Oh Lexi...”

A phone rings and Barbra Streisand’s voice echoes through the empty hallway.

”Your dad is outside?”

Rachel lets go, eyes stuck on the spot that she has tenderly touched. Her eyes drift to the phone in her hand.

”Yeah.”

”Come on, go home.”

”But -“

”No buts.” Lexi chuckles at the soft glare. “Come on, go home and do your homework or something.” She doesn’t move a muscle. “I’m okay Rach. Talking about this doesn’t really bother me.”

”If you’re sure?”

”Positively positive.”

”Okay.” The starlet frowns before shooting forward to wrap her arms around the taller girl. “Be safe, okay?”

”You too.”

Lexi watches the shorter girl walk away. On an impulsive nerve she calls out: “Be safe! Don’t do drugs! Do safe drugs!”

”Excuse me young lady?!” Rachel swirls around, gobsmacked.

”Like Advil or something.”

”Delinquent!”

”Goody-goody!”

 

* * *

 

 

It’s about ten minutes before Lexi was positive that all of her needed belongings have been taken. And the other half of her was positive that she was the only student left in the building.

That thought is literally pushed out of her when Santana rushes out of Coach Sylvester’s office and is sobbing a whole storm; despite knocking their shoulders together she doesn’t stop to apologize or see who it was and opts to continue her retreat. Lexi has half a mind at the moment and can’t decide whether or not she should do something about it.

The decision is made for her when Quinn taps on her shoulder with an uncharacteristic smile. 

“Hey, you.”

”Hey. What was that about?” She looks in the direction Santana had gone.

”Um...ignore that. She’s menstruating probably. It’s sad. She started crying over the fact that Coach Sylvester revoked her tanning privileges.”

”Tanning privileges? Isn’t she -“

”Naturally tan? Yes.”

”Wait you guys get tanning -“

”Privileges? Indeed.”

”Are you going to keep doing that?”

”If the opportunity appears at any given moment.” Quinn smirks, her rosy lips turning upward. There’s an awkward silence that follows and Lexi curses her lack of social skills.

”Follow me.”

”Where?”

”My locker.” Without another word, Quinn spins on her heel and leads the way.

A few seconds have to catch up in Lexi’s mind before she realizes that she has to follow the cheerleader. Her feet get a move on and she shoulders her backpack. They get there in a matter of seconds and the taller girl leans back against a locker as she awaits Quinn to finish up. 

“Thanks.” Quinn suddenly says and Lexi blinks, eyes focusing once more on the folded clothes that are being offered to her. Her clothes in fact, the ones she had lent the two blondes during the car wash.

”I completely forgot about that. Thank you. Can you give my thanks to Brittany too?”

”Sure.” In a minute tops Quinn is ready and they’re walking through the hallway together. Albeit in tense fashion.

”Care to explain why you did it?”

”Did what?”

”Why you gave us your clothes?”

”Should there really be an explanation for everything?”

Quinn quirks a brow. “If questions are left unanswered then one will remain curious.”

”And what? You don’t want curiosity to kill the cat?” At Quinn’s nod she smirks. “As much as I find cats adorable, I’m allergic to them.”

”Dogs?”

”If they were hypoallergenic.”

”So why the act of chivalry?”

”For a sweet sec I thought you forgot.” 

“When it comes to you...never.”

Lexi rolls her eyes at Quinn’s playful tone.

”I actually don’t know. But it was true, there _were_ a bunch of perverts at that car wash. They were perving on Rachel and she was wearing a whole rain coat for Pete's sake.”

Quinn’s shoulders tighten at the mention.  

“Oops. Sorry.”

The hazel-eyed cheerleader waves her off. “No, it’s - I should get used to it if I ever want to get rid of my feelings.” She doesn’t wait for the other teen to respond. “I’m going to break up with him.” She notices that the presence beside her is no longer present.

”It’s not my fault is it? Like I don’t want to be responsible for his heartache you know?”

”I don’t know if you’re trying to stop me from breaking up with him or stopping me from coming to terms with the fact that I’m gay?”

”Of course not, I just - I don’t know. I feel bad for him. And then if he’s single again he’ll go after Rachel.”

”Let him.”

”But don’t you -“

”Don’t you?” Lexi’s mouth snaps shut when Quinn’s voice becomes sharp. “You want to stop liking her, right? And I want to stop liking her? Maybe he should go and date her so that it will be a constant reminder for us - for our own good - that she is off limits.”

Lexi closes her eyes in contemplation. It would be for the best. Wouldn’t it? It would keep her from being so unstable with her false emotions of love. From developing crushes that would lead to nowhere? So if she trusts Quinn...to make the decision for her...She really just want to think of Rachel as a friend and nothing else.

“Deal.” 

Brown eyes reveal themselves and hazel ones hold onto them. 

A promise.

Was it the right choice though?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: 
> 
> Rubberneckin’ by Elvis Presley


End file.
